The Department of State Services (DSS) has intercepted a large cache of sophisticated weapons in Delta State, arresting two suspects believed to be members of a major arms trafficking syndicate.
The operation, which took place over the weekend in Asaba, followed weeks of intelligence gathering by the DSS on the movement of illicit arms across the country. The security agency said the suspects were arrested while transporting the weapons concealed inside a truck loaded with food items along the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway.
Recovered from the vehicle were seven General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), several AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, and other military-grade weapons. The arms were carefully hidden in bags of beans, a method the suspects allegedly used to evade detection while transporting the cache from northern Nigeria to the South-South region.
Parading the suspects before journalists, the DSS identified one of them as Stephen Sabo Atoshi, said to be a long-time arms dealer from Taraba State. The other suspect, also from Taraba, was identified as a 40-year-old secondary school teacher who allegedly helped coordinate the movement of the weapons.
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According to security sources, preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had been operating for more than eight years, trafficking arms believed to have originated from southern Libya through Chad into Nigeria. The group reportedly distributed weapons to criminal networks operating in different parts of the country.
In addition to the seized weapons, the DSS also discovered 497 cartons of counterfeit drugs believed to be part of a separate smuggling operation linked to the suspects.
Reacting to the development, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori commended the DSS for the successful operation, describing it as a “major breakthrough” in the ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements. He assured residents that his administration would continue to support security agencies to ensure peace and stability across Delta.
Governor Oborevwori also vowed that the state would not tolerate any acts capable of undermining public safety, stressing that his government would continue to work closely with security agencies to dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice.
The two suspects are currently in DSS custody and are expected to be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation and prosecution.
