How Did a Foreign Military Officer Sneak Arms Into Warri—And Who Sent Him?
The recent arms trafficking scandal involving a former British military reserve allegedly working under the instruction of a Traditional Ruler in the Warri Federal Constituency is not merely a criminal incident—it is a national security emergency. This is not just about smuggling weapons. This is about a well-orchestrated attempt to plunge the Niger Delta into ethnic conflict, undermine the authority of the Nigerian state, and derail the Supreme Court-ordered delineation process in Delta State.
The suspect, a Nigerian-born Itsekiri man with ties to the UK military reserve, was apprehended by the Department of State Services (DSS) during a covert operation. What they uncovered was a war cache: over 50 AK-47 rifles, grenades, explosives, pump-action guns, and more than 3,000 rounds of live ammunition. This wasn’t an arms deal gone wrong—this was a deliberate attempt to arm militias and incite ethnic warfare against the Ijaws of Gbaramatu Kingdom and the Urhobos of Warri South.
Disturbingly, several credible reports point to this operation being coordinated through close aides of a highly placed Traditional Ruler in Warri. To date, neither the Traditional Institution concerned nor its representatives have issued any denial or clarification. Their silence is deafening—and dangerous.
Let’s call it what it is: If indeed a traditional palace plotted to fund or facilitate the shipment of weapons for war, it qualifies as treason against the Nigerian state. This is no longer about influence, tradition, or prestige. This is about cold, calculated sabotage. The palace is not above the law—and no crown should be allowed to conceal a crime of this magnitude.
The DSS must be commended for its timely interception of this evil plot. But this is only the beginning. Nigerians demand answers. The Niger Delta demands accountability. And the international community is watching what Nigeria does next. Rumors are already swirling that agents from the palace are lobbying in Abuja to suppress the investigation, distort the facts, and erase the trail. If such moves succeed, the consequences will be catastrophic—not only for Warri but for national cohesion.
The truth must come out. The suspects must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If this leads to the doorstep of a royal institution, then so be it. No traditional title should shield treason. No palace should ever be a safe house for arms traffickers. This is not about tribe. This is not about rivalry. This is about justice, security, and the future of a region that has already endured far too much bloodshed.
Warri stood on the brink of bloodshed, not by accident, but by a deliberate, malicious plot. The people have endured, choosing calm over conflict time and again. But what was uncovered was no ordinary provocation—it was a loaded gun aimed at peace itself. If not for the timely interception by security agents, entire communities might have gone up in flames. Families would have been torn apart. The Warri Federal Constituency would have become a battlefield, and Nigeria could be counting bodies instead of blessings.
This editorial is a warning, a call, and a challenge to the DSS, the presidency, and the Nigerian justice system: Do not compromise. Do not delay. Do not betray your duty. Every single person involved—no matter how exalted—must be interrogated, exposed, and prosecuted.
Failure to act decisively will not just embolden other actors; it will send a terrifying message—that power and tradition can sponsor violence without consequence.
The line must be drawn here.
To ignore this is to endorse terrorism.
To cover it up is to declare war on justice.
To remain silent is to become complicit.
Justice must not only be done—it must thunder across Nigeria as a signal that no one is above the law.
