By Attah Ede
Troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have apprehended two fake police personnel at Takum junction in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Umar Muhammad who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said that preliminary investigation indicated that none of the men are truly serving as police officers.
He maintained that the troop acting on credible intelligence, alongside the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives intercepted the suspects, who were dressed in mobile police uniforms and found with two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with substances suspected to be cannabis sativa.
He said the cannabis laden vehicles were traced to have been loaded from Akure, Ondo State, and were heading towards Adamawa State before interception.
According to Lt Umar, one of the arrested suspects has been identified as Monday George, a 71-year-old dismissed Police ASP, and the other as Ezeugo Destiny Uche, 41.
He stressed that the occupants of the second Hilux abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on sighting the troops
“A total of 1,134 blocks of cannabis were recovered from the two vehicles. Both the suspects and the recovered exhibits have been handed over to the NDLEA office in Wukari for further investigation and prosecution.
“The operation is in continuation of the ongoing operations across Taraba State code-named Operation Lafiya Nakowa, aimed at flushing out bandits and other criminal elements.
“The Commander 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Kingsley Uwa, commended the troops and NDLEA operatives for their synergy and resilience, while reaffirming the Brigade’s commitment to ensuring that Taraba State remains unsafe for criminals and drug traffickers”, the statement added.
