UK govt says nabbed gun runner was no longer British military
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The government of the United Kingdom has declared that the gun runner later identified as Major Micah Polo who was nabbed by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Delta State actually served in the British military.
In a clarification note sent to The Oracle Today, the British High Commission in Nigeria stated that the suspect had been discharged by the British armed forces before the incident and therefore was no longer in the service of the UK government.
British High Commission’s Press and Public Affairs office in Nigeria stated in a note that “the individual identified in recent Nigerian media reporting is not a serving member of the UK Armed Forces.”
The High Commission explained that “the individual identified did serve as a junior rank in the UK Armed Forces Reserves but was discharged.”
“Whilst in the Reserves he was a junior rank not a commissioned officer,” the office stated in a explanatory note without confirming the name reported in the media.
“We have a common law and Data Protection Act duty to protect the personal details of our current and former employees and are therefore not able to release any additional information in this matter,” the High Commission stated.
It however acknowledged that the UK government is aware of the events unfolding around “an individual allegedly linked to the UK Armed Forces in connection with illegal arms procurement in Nigeria.”
The Oracle Today reports that the DSS arrested an Itsekiri man serving in the British Army who was allegedly supplying arms and ammunition supplies illegally in Delta State.
The secret police also recovered 50 AK47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition during a covert operation in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The suspect was identified as a Major in the British Army who serviced a network of several associates with illegal arms supply.
The suspect was reportedly apprehended in Lagos as he was about boarding a flight to the United Kingdom, while his associates were apprehended in Asaba.
The DSS Delta Command reported recovered over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged Nigerian and British authorities to launch a joint, transparent investigation into the alleged involvement of British Army officer Major Micah Polo in a recent arms trafficking incident uncovered by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Delta State.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the rights group warned that the case, if proven true, could have grave implications for national stability and regional peace, especially in politically sensitive areas like Warri.
The rights group urged UK-Nigeria cooperation to dismantle possible transnational arms networks and warned against foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal security
