In a dramatic turn of events, Major Micah Polo, a serving officer in the British Army, has been arrested by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly smuggling arms into the country—a revelation that has sparked regional and international concern.
The arrest reportedly follows a covert operation led by the DSS on April 25 near Asaba, the capital of Delta State. Intelligence operatives seized a significant cache of military-grade weaponry, including:
- 50 AK-47 assault rifles
- 6 pump-action shotguns
- Over 3,000 rounds of live ammunition
According to sources within the DSS, the weapons were hidden in modified compartments of unmarked transport vehicles believed to be headed toward insurgency-affected regions.
Major Polo was intercepted and arrested at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport as he allegedly attempted to flee Nigeria aboard a flight to the United Kingdom. Several of his local associates were reportedly apprehended simultaneously in coordinated operations in Delta State.
Authorities have remained tight-lipped about the broader implications of the arrest, but a preliminary investigation points to possible connections between the smuggling operation and violent non-state actors operating in parts of northern and central Nigeria.
International Tensions and Questions of Complicity
The British High Commission in Nigeria has not yet released an official statement, but diplomatic observers suggest that Major Polo’s arrest could strain bilateral military cooperation, especially if evidence links foreign agents to destabilizing operations within Nigerian territory.
Security analysts are calling the case a potential “game-changer” in the ongoing effort to trace external enablers of armed violence in West Africa. One senior counterterrorism advisor, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated:
“This isn’t just about one man. It’s about understanding whether there are organized networks supplying arms to Africa from outside—and why.”
This incident surfaces at a time when Nigeria is battling a complex matrix of security challenges—ranging from terrorism and banditry to secessionist movements and trans-border trafficking.
The arrest of a foreign military officer—especially one from a nation as closely tied to Nigeria’s post-colonial history as the UK—raises difficult questions about foreign footprints in Africa’s internal security struggles.
The DSS has yet to release full details of the case or announce formal charges, but sources indicate that Major Polo will remain in custody pending further investigation.
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Source: Intelligence Briefs & Field Reports
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