Police arrest 5 suspects, recover ammunition, stolen goods in Lagos

Detectives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, have arrested five suspects in connection with arms dealing and theft, recovering a cache of ammunition and stolen goods.

The operation, carried out on the orders of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of FCID, AIG Margaret Agebe Ochalla, followed credible intelligence from a reliable source.

Briefing journalists in Ikoyi, AIG Ochalla said detectives intercepted a consignment containing 300 rounds of live ammunition and various contraband items. She said investigations traced the shipment to one Mrs Maria Adeyemi, based in the United States, who allegedly failed to declare the ammunition and other items in the bill of lading.

“The driver of the vehicle, one Nelson Peretei, was arrested and brought to the FCID Annex for questioning,” she said.

A comprehensive search of the container – conducted in the presence of the clearing agent and suspected receivers – led to the recovery of: 300 rounds of 9mm live ammunition concealed in a Nissan Frontier pickup, two Toyota Sienna vans, one Nissan Frontier pickup, one Scion XA vehicle, 24 bags of foreign rice, seven bales of used clothing (Okirika), cartons of vegetable oil, and various household items.

Ochalla said a self-acclaimed retired U.S. Marine Colonel, Sunny Nwadiri, also attempted to claim ownership of the ammunition through an intermediary without providing verifiable identification.

“Preliminary findings show strategic concealment of the illegal items among legitimate goods, with none of the ammunition or contraband declared in the shipping documents – a clear attempt to evade port security systems,” she said.

The AIG added that detectives are conducting deeper investigations into the source, destination and possible links to wider criminal or arms-trafficking networks. She said the FCID is working closely with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure proper intelligence-sharing and prosecution under the Firearms Act and other relevant laws.

In a related development, FCID detectives have also uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated syndicate involved in movie piracy, copyright infringement, conspiracy and cyber-enabled offences targeting Nigeria’s creative industry.

AIG Ochalla said the breakthrough followed a petition by FilmOne Entertainment Limited over the unlawful upload of their movie “Owambe Thieves” on TikTok on August 23, 2025. The suspect allegedly demanded N1,000 from viewers for access to a pirated copy of the full movie. The petition was supported with screenshots, transaction records and documents proving ownership rights.

“Through coordinated intelligence, the prime suspect was arrested,” she said. “He confessed to obtaining the movie from an illegal website, uploading edited scenes on TikTok for engagement, and distributing the full film via WhatsApp for N1,000. He admitted selling the pirated movie to over 50 individuals and confirmed involvement in the piracy of several Nollywood titles, including ‘Farmers Bride,’ ‘Thinline,’ and ‘Alakada Bad and Bourjee.’”

A forensic examination of two seized phones – an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone SE – revealed extensive evidence, including lists of buyers and copies of pirated films distributed via WhatsApp and Telegram.

Financial analysis also showed inflows of N7,616,403.80 and outflows of N7,612,270.99 in his OPay account between August 20 and October 29, 2025, indicating steady income from cyber-enabled piracy and fraud.

The suspect has since been arraigned before a competent court.

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