Troops of the Nigerian Army, working with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested two men posing as policemen in Taraba State.
The suspects were caught transporting cannabis in vehicles disguised as police patrol vans.
The arrests were made during Operation Lafiya Nakowa, a joint security effort aimed at flushing out bandits, drug traffickers, and other criminal elements across the state.
Acting on intelligence, troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army and personnel from Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) intercepted the suspects at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the men were dressed in mobile police uniforms and driving two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with substances suspected to be cannabis.
A total of 1,134 blocks of cannabis were recovered.
Suspects identified
Investigations revealed that none of the arrested men were serving police officers.
One suspect was identified as Monday George, a 71-year-old dismissed Police Assistant Superintendent, while the second was named as Ezeugo Destiny Uche, aged 41.
Officials disclosed that the cannabis consignment had been loaded in Akure, Ondo State, and was being transported to Adamawa before troops intercepted the vehicles.
The occupants of a second Hilux abandoned their vehicle and fled on sighting the soldiers.
The suspects, vehicles, and seized drugs have since been handed over to the NDLEA office in Wukari for further investigation and prosecution.
Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, Commander of 6 Brigade, praised the troops and NDLEA operatives for their swift action.
He urged the public to continue sharing credible information to support ongoing operations in the state.
He further stressed the army’s commitment to making Taraba unsafe for drug traffickers, fake security operatives, and armed groups.
This operation follows an earlier crackdown in August 2025, when NDLEA operatives, backed by the army and local vigilantes, uncovered and destroyed a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Mayodoga Forest, Sardauna Local Government Area.
Officials confirmed that about 178,750 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed during the raid, making it one of the largest anti-drug operations in Taraba’s recent history.
The latest arrest highlights the growing use of fake police uniforms and official-looking vehicles by criminal networks to evade detection.
Security agencies have vowed to intensify operations and ensure that traffickers and their sponsors face justice.
Authorities say the joint crackdown will continue as part of wider measures to restore law and order in Taraba and other vulnerable states in Nigeria’s North-East.
