Troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have arrested two fake policemen at Takum junction in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Acting on credible intelligence, the troops, working with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted the suspects dressed in mobile police uniforms while driving two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with substances suspected to be cannabis sativa.
According to Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, preliminary findings confirmed that none of the suspects are serving policemen. Investigations revealed the vehicles had been loaded with cannabis in Akure, Ondo State, and were headed for Adamawa State before being intercepted.
One of the suspects has been identified as Monday George, a 71-year-old dismissed Police ASP, while the other is 41-year-old Ezeugo Destiny Uche. The occupants of the second Hilux abandoned the vehicle and fled upon sighting the troops.
A total of 1,134 blocks of cannabis were recovered. The suspects and seized items have since been handed over to the NDLEA office in Wukari for further investigation and prosecution.
The arrest is part of ongoing operations under Operation Lafiya Nakowa to tackle banditry and criminal activities in Taraba. Commending the synergy between troops and NDLEA, Commander 6 Brigade, Brigadier General Kingsley Uwa, reiterated the Brigade’s resolve to make the state unsafe for criminals while urging the public to provide timely intelligence to aid security efforts.
What you should know
Operation Whirl Stroke, launched in 2018, is a joint military task force targeting armed groups in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, and Zamfara.
The arrest of fake policemen smuggling drugs underscores how criminal elements often disguise as security personnel to evade detection.
