Three officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) have specialised in selling of arms and ammunition to bandits and kidnappers, an operative of the Department of State Security has told the court.
Stephen Okolo, a witness in the trial of the NSCDC officials before a Federal High Court in Ibadan said the DSS was able to arrest the suspect with the use of advanced technology.
Testifying before Justice N E Maha, Okolo who appeared as a Prosecution Witness 1 said the three security offiicers, Olamide Okesola, Adedeji Adewale, and Asmau Omar worked with Emmanuel Olatunji, an unlicensed arms dealer to supply arms to criminals.
According to Okolo, the suspects were tracked and arrested and arrested by the DSS with the aim to address the growing insecurity in Oyo state and its environs.
He said, “My lord, following the increase in the cases of kidnapping and banditry in Okeogun area of Oyo State and parts of Kwara, the DSS fashioned out how to address the issue by deploying our technical expertise, that is equipment,” he said.
“We identified two kingpins, Baguda and Banshile, who were among the most dangerous terrorists operating in the area,” Okolo said.
According to him, one of the NSCDC official, Lawan Buhari was arrested during the secret police’s operation in January 2023 for allegedly supplying arms to terrorists. Other suspects were later arrested by the team who recovered a bag containing 1,000 rounds of live ammunition.
The defendants who all pleaded not guilty are facing a 15-count amended charge of terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, conspiracy and arms dealing.
