JALINGO — Troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted two Toyota Hilux vehicles laden with 1,134 blocks of cannabis and arrested two men posing as mobile police officers along the Takum Junction axis of Wukari LGA, Taraba State.
Army spokesman Lt. Umar Mohammad said the bust followed credible intelligence under Operation Lafiya Nakowa, the ongoing state-wide push to flush out bandits and criminal networks. “The suspects, dressed in mobile police uniforms, were intercepted and could not prove they were serving officers,” he noted, adding that preliminary findings indicate the drugs were loaded in Akure, Ondo State, and were en route to the North-East.
One of the suspects was identified as Monday George, 71, a dismissed Police ASP; the second as Ezeugo Destiny Uche, 41. Occupants of a second Hilux fled on sighting security forces, abandoning the vehicle, according to the statement.
Both the arrested suspects and the exhibits have been handed over to the NDLEA office in Wukari for further investigation and prosecution.
Commander 6 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, praised the joint operation and reiterated that Taraba State will remain unsafe for criminals and drug traffickers. He urged residents to continue sharing timely, credible information to strengthen ongoing operations across the state.
Operation Lafiya Nakowa runs in tandem with OPWS activities in the North-Central and adjoining corridors, targeting kidnapping, bandit logistics, and narcotics trafficking lines frequently used to finance violent crime. Authorities say the latest seizure underscores the value of inter-agency intelligence sharing and rapid-response patrols on key transit routes.
