On Wednesday, the British High Commission denied media reports suggesting that an active member of the United Kingdom Armed Forces is implicated in an alleged illegal arms procurement scheme in Nigeria.
In an official statement, a spokesperson for the High Commission clarified that the person mentioned in the recent reports is not an active member of the UK military.
The statement noted, ‘The individual referenced in the recent Nigerian media reports is not a serving member of the UK Armed Forces.’
Additionally, the commission disclosed that the individual had previously served in a junior rank within the UK Armed Forces Reserves and has since been discharged, confirming that they held no commissioned officer status during their service.
Due to obligations under common law and the UK’s Data Protection Act, the commission stated it is unable to disclose further personal information about current or former personnel.
The statement concluded, ‘The individual identified did serve as a junior rank in the UK Armed Forces Reserves but was discharged. We have a common law and Data Protection Act duty to protect the personal details of our current and former employees and are therefore not able to release any additional information in this matter.’
Local media had reported that a British Army officer was allegedly recruited to acquire weapons and ammunition aimed at exacerbating tribal tensions in the oil-rich region.
On Friday night, operatives from the Delta Command of the DSS successfully thwarted an arms deal and apprehended the supplier during a discreet exchange near Asaba, Delta State.
The operation resulted in the seizure of over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
Meanwhile, an officer was intercepted in Lagos while trying to board a flight to the UK, and his accomplices were captured in Asaba during the same operation.
On Monday, a group of Niger Delta stakeholders and a coalition of civil society organizations visited the British High Commission, urging a comprehensive investigation into the implicated British Army officer.
They also requested the British government to assist the Department of State Services in identifying his collaborators, some of whom are reportedly still unaccounted for.
