Strong indications emerged last week that the Federal Government may have narrowed down its investigations on the serial importation of arms into the country to the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).
Similarly, the government may have also established the link between IPOB and Turkey as the source of the arms.
Consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) are expected to jet out to Turkey for a bilateral meeting with the Turkish Government and the country’s Customs Authority.
Disclosing the impending travel to newsmen in Abuja on Friday, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Aminu Dangaladima, said the meeting is aimed at finding a permanent solution to the influx of arms into Nigeria.
Dangaladima said, “Let me seize this opportunity to inform you that we are making progress on investigation in the illegal arms importation.
“More arrests have been made and the CGC will be on the entourage of Mr. President to Turkey for sideline bilateral meeting with the Turkish Customs Authority.
“This is with the aim to permanently deal and put an end to such deadly importation coming from Turkey.”
On the alleged involvement of IPOB, the minister of defence, Mansur Dan Ali, made the allegation in an interview on Channels TV said last week.
Ali said that the group was responsible for the importation of arms from Turkey into the country, adding that, this was one of the reasons the federal government labeled the group as a terrorist organisation.
The minister said intelligence reports had shown that the group was determined to bring confusion in the country. He said IPOB should have explored constitutional provisions in making their grievances known instead of trying to cause chaos in Nigeria by procuring weapons.
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