A Nigerian soldier attached to Operation Delta Safe in Bayelsa State has been arrested by the police alongside a civilian over allegations of armed robbery and car theft.
The suspects were reportedly apprehended while attempting to transport a stolen Toyota Hilux vehicle from Lagos to a location in the South-South region of the country.
Sources said that the soldier, whose identity has not yet been officially released, allegedly connived with the civilian accomplice to steal the vehicle in Lagos.
To avoid detection at security checkpoints during the journey, the soldier reportedly accompanied the civilian to facilitate clearance, leveraging his military status.
“The civilian and the soldier stole the Hilux in Lagos. The soldier then followed him for clearance at checkpoints on the highway. He is serving with Operation Delta Safe in Bayelsa.
“They wanted to sell the Hilux and were tracked by the police,” a police source familiar with the matter said.
During interrogation, the soldier allegedly identified himself as a member of the Nigerian Army in an attempt to evade arrest.
This incident comes just weeks after another soldier, identified as Private Sadiq Sani, was arrested for allegedly attacking a Minna-based businessman, Abdulrahman Salihu, during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
According to reports, Sani stabbed Salihu multiple times after a dispute over a clothing transaction, severing one of the trader’s arms before fleeing.
The Nigerian Army and the police have yet to issue official statements on the latest arrest, but security analysts say the development raises concerns about the involvement of uniformed personnel in criminal activities.
Efforts to reach spokespersons for both the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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