By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security agencies, and the British High Commission in Nigeria, to collaborate and thoroughly investigate and prosecute the roles of British army majors involved in the alleged
arms trafficking in the Niger Delta.

Spokesman of IYC Worldwide, Amb Binebai Princewill, in a text of a press briefing yesterday, said the attention of the IYC Worldwide has been drawn to recent security developments in the Niger Delta, particularly Delta State, wherein on April 25, 2025, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) carried out a covert operation near Asaba, Delta State, resulting in the seizure of 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and over 3,000 rounds of ammunition.

It would be recalled that during the operation, associates of the British Army Major Micah Polo were arrested in Asaba, while the Major himself was intercepted in Lagos as he attempted to board a flight to the United Kingdom.

The IYC Spokesman stressed that names of all those linked to this intended crime against humanity should be published in national dailies and television stations, as the IYC will not allow the matter to be swept under the carpet as the guns and ammunition were intended to attack the law-abiding, peaceful, and sacrificial Ijaw people in Delta State.

His words: “As a council, we are seriously commending the Department of State Services (DSS), the military, and all security agencies for their alertness on this worrisome security development, as the intent behind the smuggling of guns and large cache of ammunition was to cause insecurity in Delta State, Niger Delta, which will have far-reaching implications on Nigeria as a whole.

“The DSS and Nigeria security agencies have proven their gallantry over time to Nigerians, and as a council, the IYC is very proud of our security architecture in this country.

“However, we are using this medium to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, all security agencies, and the British High Commission in Nigeria to collaborate by thoroughly investigating this issue with a view to bringing all those involved, no matter how highly placed they might be, to face the full wrath of the law.

“Names of all those linked to this intended crime against humanity should be published in national dailies and television stations. We will not allow this matter to be swept under the carpet because the guns and ammunition were intended to attack the law-abiding, peaceful, and sacrificial Ijaw people in Delta State.

“It is important to note that the Ijaws have always towed the path of peace and have been accommodative to our neighbours, let it be known that no one has the monopoly of violence as we have always chosen peace, the many years of fraud that was corrected by the Supreme Court judgment and INEC in Warri Federal Constituency wards and polling units delineation should not be a yardstick for people to cause insecurity in Delta State.

“Finally, it is important to let the sleeping dog lie. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies must not allow this gun smuggling crime to be swept under the carpet as the Ijaw people are keenly following and watching. All those involved must be punished.”