Ijaw Youths Laud DSS Over Delta Arms Seizure, Call for Thorough Investigation

The Ijaw Youths Network (IYN) has publicly commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for its recent seizure of 57 AK-47 assault rifles, other weapons, and substantial ammunition in Delta State.

The IYN’s statement, released on Tuesday, also lauded the DSS for the arrest of a UK Army Major, reportedly a Delta State native, and others allegedly linked to the gun-running operation.

IYN Coordinator, Frank Ebikabo, and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, stated that the successful operation reinforces public trust in the nation’s secret service and its commitment to national security.

They specifically credited the Director General of the DSS, Mr. Adeola Ajayi, and his operatives for their “proactiveness” and “astounding display of professionalism” in preventing potential bloodshed in Warri.

“What the DSS has forestalled is a vile attempt to foist a dangerous regime of inter-ethnic violence on Warri and its environs,” the IYN leadership stated, adding that the agency deserves praise for preventing the unimaginable violence and destruction that could have been caused by 57 AK-47s in the wrong hands.

The IYN urged the DSS to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and to bring all those involved, including the UK Army Major, to justice.

They pointed to the recent disenchantment and tension surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ward delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency as a potential motive for the alleged arms procurement.

“Disagreements over issues should be resolved through dialogue rather than a resort to ethnic-inspired violence,” the IYN emphasized.

The IYN also called on the British High Commission in Nigeria to treat a petition sent to it regarding the UK military officer’s involvement with urgency.

They described the alleged link between a high-ranking military officer and an attempt to stoke crisis in Nigeria as “disheartening.”

The IYN urged the UK Government to clarify the status of the Major, whose actions they deemed “inimical to the good image of the UK military.”

Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organizations in Nigeria has echoed the IYN’s concerns, calling on the British Government to partner with the Federal Government to investigate the Major’s activities.

In a letter dated April 28, 2025, addressed to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, the CSOs alleged that the Major’s actions were a threat to Nigeria’s internal security. The letter was signed by Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, Zekeri Momoh-Saliu, Mohammed Idris, and Hugo Okafor, representing organizations including the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, and the Coalition for Democratic Watchdogs.

Sources within the security agencies have also revealed that the DSS is investigating the potential involvement of a powerful traditional ruler in the arms procurement.

The tension in Warri stems from the INEC’s recent ward and polling unit delineation exercise, mandated by a Supreme Court judgment in 2022. The Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Etekamba Umoren, presented the delineation report to representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, Chief Victor Okumagba, Dr. Andrew Igban, and Dr. Joe Bisina, respectively. The exercise has sparked suspicions that the arms were intended for use by those opposed to the new delineations.