By Jimitota Onoyume 

Federal government has been urged to thoroughly investigate trending media reports that a foreign army personnel was arrested alongside some  locals  for allegedly smuggling arms into Delta state.

According to media reports the locals were arrested around  Asaba,  capital of Delta state by men of the Department of State  Services, DSS with 50 Ak-47 rifles , six pump action,  shotguns and 3000 rounds of ammunition intended to be moved to Warri. 

Details of the seizure were hazy. However Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Centre for Human rights and Anti corruption Crusade, CHURAC, Mr Alaowei Cleric Ebikonbowei, in a statement in Warri commended security operatives for the alleged arrest,  urging the federal government to come out with details on the issue.

The statement reads : ” CHURAC commends security agents for prompt arrest of a foreign army gunrunner and his syndicates. We demand that the matter should be thoroughly investigated with no stone left unturned and the identified culprits be brought to book in accordance with the laws of the land. Nobody is above the law. Therefore no one involved in the proliferation of arms and ammunition to Warri should be treated as a sacred cow. 

“Nigeria is a Country with equal justice. If we must avert the looming ethnic crisis in Warri being orchestrated by some highly placed persons as evidenced in the recent arrest of arms smugglers and their acolytes then every suspected person no matter his or her position in the society should be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted if found culpable.

“Security agents should act fast to nip in the bud by placing surveillance on ethnic actors who want to push willing and uninformed youth into inter-ethnic crisis. 

“Crisis in Warri is a crisis that will affect the economy of the nation. President Tinubu should therefore take decisive action to avert the growing tension in the area. People of goodwill should be on alert to expose those bent on fermenting trouble in the Warri Federal Constituency. “

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