The Delta State Police Command says it has arrested two people in separate operations in Agbor and Warri, recovering 10 live cartridges and quantities of beverages suspected to be adulterated.
The operations, according to the command, also led officers to a warehouse in Lower Ginuwa, Warri, where more suspected adulterated drinks and vehicles carrying similar products were found.
The police announced the arrests and recoveries in a statement issued on 23 August by the command's spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe.
Woman arrested over suspected ammunition supplyIn Agbor, police said operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit (SAKU), Ubulu-Uku, arrested 28-year-old Happiness Clifford following what the command described as credible intelligence.
Police said officers searched her suspected hideout and found 10 live cartridges concealed in a bucket.
The command said Clifford allegedly identified her husband, Clifford Okoro, as a major supplier of the ammunition during preliminary questioning.
Okoro has not been arrested, according to the police. Officers said they had intensified efforts to locate him while the investigation continues.
The allegation has not been tested in court, and the police have not disclosed whether the cartridges were linked to any specific firearm or criminal incident.
The recovery is significant because Nigerian law places restrictions on the possession and dealing in firearms and ammunition.
The proposed Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons legislation has also sought tighter controls on ammunition possession and firearms dealers.
Nigeria has continued to treat the illicit movement of small arms and ammunition as a security concern because such weapons can facilitate violent crime and organised criminal activity.
President Bola Tinubu has previously called for stronger measures to disrupt illicit arms-trafficking networks.
Police trace suspected adulterated drinks to warehouseIn a separate operation, police said officers intercepted a Toyota Sienna along the Warri–Agbarho Expressway on 17 August.
The vehicle was carrying quantities of a product identified as “Gbefun Hot Drink”, which police suspected to be adulterated.
Officers arrested the 44-year-old driver, the command said.
Further investigation allegedly took officers to a warehouse in Lower Ginuwa, Warri.
Police said they recovered additional quantities of the suspected adulterated drink, other beverages and a Suzuki Shuttle bus loaded with similar products.
The suspected operators of the warehouse fled after seeing the police, according to the command.
Police have not said how many people were operating the warehouse or identified the manufacturers or distributors of the beverages.
Why the beverage case matters
The police description of the drinks as suspected adulterated products is important. It does not establish that the beverages are adulterated.
Laboratory testing and regulatory investigation would be needed to determine the products' composition and whether they breached food and beverage safety requirements.
NAFDAC regulations require spirit drinks sold in Nigeria to comply with registration, labelling and safety requirements.
The agency's regulations also prohibit the presence of substances that could be injurious to health when mixed with alcohol.
NAFDAC says its regulatory role includes ensuring that regulated products sold or distributed in Nigeria meet required quality and safety standards.
The agency has previously issued public alerts over adulterated alcoholic products, showing that unsafe or improperly regulated beverages are not a new regulatory concern in Nigeria.
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Police promise further investigation
Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the officers involved in the operations and directed them to pursue the investigations.
He also urged members of the public to continue providing the police with credible and timely information.
The police now face two key tasks: establishing the source and intended recipients of the ammunition and determining where the suspected adulterated beverages came from and how they were distributed.
The arrest of the 44-year-old driver and the recovery of the warehouse could help investigators trace the wider supply chain if further evidence links other people to the operation.
For the public, the immediate issue is caution.
The suspects remain entitled to due process, and any allegations against them must ultimately be determined by a court.
The next stage will depend on the police investigation, including the possible arrest of the alleged ammunition supplier and the people who fled the Warri warehouse.
Any regulatory findings on the seized beverages would also help establish whether the products posed a public-health risk.
