Major amount of arms and ammunition bound for Nigeria, seized by Ghana police

Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Atinga Bio shows arms and ammunition seized

A major amount of arms and ammunitions, allegedly bound for Nigeria, was seized by the Ghana police on Tuesday.

The arms and ammunition, including hordes of "AAA" cartridges, 10 pomp-action guns and 20 double-barreled guns, was found in a false compartment made under the flour plate of the carrier truck.

Addressing the media on Tuesday evening, Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Atinga Bio, said she had received a call from an informant around 15:00 GMT that a truck was off loading what could be smuggled goods in a house at Achimota, a suburb of the capital.

The operation, which could be a major break-through for the police into the modus operandi of arms smugglers in the region, led to the arrest of five suspects, three Ghanaians and two Nigerians.

"Upon reaching there, my men only saw an empty truck branded in coca-cola trade-mark on the compound," she told the media.

But upon scrutiny, the policemen realized that the flour plate had just been welded at some specific points, raising their suspicion that there could be something unusual under the plate.

The police team ordered the driver to open the compartment and large caches of arms and ammunition were seen concealed under the flour plate.

Bio said Kwadwo Baffoe, a Ghanaian claimed ownership of the cargo, while two other Ghanaians, Kofi Aboagye and Kwasi Nkrumah, had also been apprehended.

In addition, two Nigerians, Sandy Eze from Anambra State and Amo Su Taiwoo from Ogun State, were also arrested, the police officer said.

The owner admitted to the police that the arms were being transported to Nigeria in the truck with registration number XA 761-YAB.

"This is the first of its kind since 2009 when I took charge of the region. We are very much alert, especially because this year is an election year, and so we will protect the nation with the force at our disposal," said Bio.

Nigeria has been reeling under severe armed banditry perpetrated by a religious sect, Boko Haram, resulting in the declaration of state of emergency in several states.

The police said investigations would continue into the matter in order to identify all those involved in the crime and if found culpable, the suspects would be prosecuted for illegal possession and trading in the arms and ammunition, which were still accounted by the police.