The development comes under the ongoing Operation Lafiya Nakowa, designed to flush out bandits and criminal elements across Taraba.
Troops of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two men who posed as policemen in Taraba State.
The suspects were caught during a joint operation as part of efforts to intensify security operations in the state.
The development comes under the ongoing Operation Lafiya Nakowa, designed to flush out bandits and criminal elements across Taraba.
Acting on credible intelligence, troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), working alongside NDLEA personnel, made the arrest at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area.
“Troops alongside NDLEA personnel intercepted and apprehended two fake policemen at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area,” a source, Zagazola Makama, said.
“The suspects, who were dressed in mobile police uniforms, were found with two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with substances suspected to be cannabis,” it added.
The suspects, the vehicles, and the suspected drugs have been taken into custody as investigations continue.
Preliminary findings by the Army revealed that none of the men in the intercepted vehicles were serving police officers.
According to officials, the cannabis-laden Hilux vans were traced to have been loaded from Akure in Ondo State and were heading towards Adamawa State before they were stopped.
One of the suspects has been identified as Monday George, a 71-year-old dismissed Police Assistant Superintendent, while the other was named as Ezeugo Destiny Uche, aged 41.
“The occupants of the second Hilux abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on sighting the troops,” the source added.
A total of 1134 blocks of cannabis were recovered from both vehicles. The Army confirmed that the exhibits, alongside the two arrested suspects, had been handed over to the NDLEA office in Wukari for further investigation and prosecution.
The Commander, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, commended the troops and NDLEA operatives for their effort.
He further urged members of the public to continue to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations across the state.
Brigadier General Uwa also reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to ensuring that Taraba remains unsafe for criminals and drug traffickers.
Operatives of the NDLEA, backed by the Nigerian Army and local security outfits, had in August 2025 uncovered and destroyed a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Mayodoga Forest, Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.
During the raid, NDLEA officials said about 178,750 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed while a 30-year-old suspect, Alfa Andrew, was arrested with a Dane gun in his possession.
The operation, which involved the Forest Security Service, Mambila Youth Vanguard, and vigilante groups, was described as one of the largest anti-drug crackdowns in the state in recent years.
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