THE British High Commission in Nigeria, on Wednesday, April 30, dismissed media reports that a serving member of the United Kingdom (UK) Armed Forces was involved in an illegal arms procurement operation in Delta State.
There have been calls for a thorough probe of Micah Polo, a Nigerian by birth, said to be a Major in the British Army, who was recently arrested in connection with procuring illegal arms to fuel alleged planned mayhem.
Polo, a suspected arms supplier, was apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) last Friday, April 25, in a covert operation near Asaba, the state capital, during which over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump action shotguns and over 3,000 rounds of ammunition were allegedly recovered.
Polo was reportedly intercepted in Lagos as he attempted to board a flight to the UK.
In its reaction, the British High Commission, in a statement on Wednesday, April 30, said: “The individual identified in recent Nigerian media reporting is not a serving member of the UK Armed Forces.”
It, however, acknowledged that Polo served as a junior ranking officer in the UK Armed Forces Reserves, but has been discharged, adding: “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.”
Polo was allegedly recruited to procure weapons and ammunition intended to fuel tribal tensions in the region.
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