A 47-year-old native doctor has been arrested as a gun running suspect caught with firearms hidden in his ceiling. Police say investigation is ongoing

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]un running suspect caught in Ibusa, Delta State, has stirred fresh concerns over illegal arms circulation in Nigeria’s southern region.

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The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 47-year-old native doctor, Okonji Chimeze, for unlawful possession and concealment of firearms.

The arrest was executed on 14 June 2025 at around 6:30 a.m. after the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad acted on credible intelligence.

According to Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, a search warrant was executed at Chimeze’s home in Umuehe Quarters, Ibusa, located within Oshimili North Local Government Area.

During the search, officers discovered two automatic pump-action rifles and a cutlass, all hidden in the ceiling of the suspect’s room.

The location and method of concealment have raised serious suspicions about the intended use of the weapons.

“These arms were not meant for self-defence. The suspect has questions to answer,” Edafe said in a statement released to journalists on Tuesday.

The suspect, alongside the recovered items, is in custody while further investigations are underway.

In a separate operation four days later, on 18 June 2025, the Command’s Eagle-Net Surveillance Team intercepted a black Toyota Corolla during a stop-and-search at Otokutu Bridge, Ughelli North Local Government Area.

The vehicle was occupied by two men, 27-year-old Telvin Richmond and 26-year-old Frank Obiorah.

Upon a thorough inspection, officers found a locally made cut-to-size gun, two NBM hand bands, a battle axe, and a wooden pistol stashed in the door compartment of the vehicle. Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects belong to the Aiye Confraternity.

Further questioning disclosed that the firearm was purchased for ₦87,000 in 2024 from an unnamed dealer who remains at large. Authorities are currently tracing the source of the weapons and the network involved in their circulation.

Both incidents underline the growing challenge of illicit arms in the region and the complicity of non-state actors in sustaining violence.