The British High Commission, on Wednesday, has made it clear that the UK Armed Forces are not involved in any form of illegal arms procurement in Nigeria.
The denial, which came in an official statement from the Commission’s Communication Office yesterday, was in response to recent media reports concerning an individual arrested in connection with a cache of arms and allegedly linked to the UK armed forces.
The suspect, Major Micah Polo, an acclaimed British army officer, who is an Itsekiri by origin, was recently apprehended in connection with arms procurement and an alleged plot to instigate unrest in Warri, Delta State.
He was alleged to have been recruited by one Collins to procure weapons and ammunition intended to fuel tribal tensions in the oil-rich region.
However, DSS operatives from the Delta Command were said to have foiled the move on Friday night. They arrested the arms supplier during a covert exchange near Asaba, recovering over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
Polo was eventually intercepted in Lagos as he attempted to board a flight to the United Kingdom, while his associates were apprehended in Asaba during the operation.
However, a spokesperson from the British High Commission, in an official statement today, stated that the individual identified in recent Nigerian media reports is not a serving member of the UK Armed Forces.
The statement stated that the suspect had served in a junior rank in the UK Armed Forces Reserves but was subsequently discharged.
“Whilst in the Reserves, he was a junior rank, not a commissioned officer.
“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.
“We kindly request that this statement be reflected in your reporting to ensure factual accuracy,” it concluded.
