Operatives of the Department of State Service have uncovered and foiled an alleged plot to instigate unrest in Warri, Delta State, leading to the arrest of a foreign-based Army major, and several others allegedly involved in the plan.

According to sources familiar with the operation, the Army officer, of Itsekiri origin, was allegedly recruited by one Collins to procure weapons and ammunition intended to fuel tribal tensions in the oil-rich region.

An insider disclosed on Friday night that the DSS operatives from the Delta Command apprehended the arms supplier during a covert operation near Asaba, Delta State.

During the operation, DSS seized over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the insider.

One of the sources said, ‘’An Itsekiri man serving in a foreign army is alleged to have procured weapons and ammunition at the behest of one Collins to instigate unrest in Warri.”

‘’During a covert exchange near Asaba in Delta State, operatives from the DSS Delta Command apprehended the arms supplier and several associates, seizing over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition.

‘’Shortly thereafter, DSS agents in Lagos intercepted the Army Major as he tried to cross Nigeria’s border en route United Kingdom.

“All suspects are now in DSS custody. The DSS will carry out a full and transparent investigation and hold anyone found plotting tribal conflicts to account.’’

It was further gathered that a traditional ruler is also being discreetly investigated in connection with the matter.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the authorities proved abortive as of press time.

The arrests come amid tensions following the rejection of the ward delineation in Delta State by the Itsekiri Nation.

The Itsekiri people had threatened to take legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission if the delineation exercise proceeded.

On April 7, it was reported that one person was killed and houses were razed in a crisis that ensued as a result of the INEC’s delineation of constituencies.

The incident reportedly occurred on Odion Road in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

In response, soldiers, police officers, and other security operatives were deployed to the area to prevent a further breakdown of law and order.

Many candidates purportedly recruited into the Federal Fire Service have alleged that the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board substituted their names with those of other persons after appointment.

The candidates, who claimed that they were offered probational appointments after applying for the job through the CDCFIB portal between November and December 2024, said they were denied documentation when they went for the exercise in April.

But the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji, dismissed the allegation, asking those who feel unjustly denied to come forward with their letters.

Some of the candidates said FFS officers told them that their Trade Skill Numbers had been allocated to other people.

According to the candidates, the officers told them that the letters of documentation sent to each of them were no longer valid.

A letter of invitation for documentation to one of the candidates from the CDCFIB was sighted by our correspondent on Saturday.

The letter was signed by the Secretary of the board, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.).

It read, “Subsequent to your application for recruitment into the Federal Fire Service, and your participation in all our assessment and verification exercises, the board is pleased to inform you that you have been considered for probational appointment, subject to a few conditions which include participation in a medical examination that will be conducted by the medical personnel of the service.

“You are slated to appear before our team as scheduled: 10 a.m., Monday, March 24, 2025, at Metropolitan Fire Station, FCT Command, Kubwa, Abuja. Please note that the entirety of the recruitment process does not at any point attract any form of remittance.”

However, the candidates said their appointments for documentation were changed twice by the board.

In a message purportedly sent by the CDCFIB on March 23, the appointment was rescheduled to April 7.

“Please be informed that the previously announced documentation date has been rescheduled to April 7th, 2025. This change is due to the Board’s decision to adjust certain administrative procedures and ensure a smooth process, considering the upcoming holidays. Please note the venue: Metropolitan Fire Station, FCT Command, Kubwa, Abuja. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding,” the message read.

Another message sent on April 9 reads, “Kindly be informed that you are to present yourself for documentation on 17th April, 2025. Please note the venue: Metropolitan Fire Station, FCT Command, Kubwa, Abuja…”

However, the candidates said they could not do their documentation as they were denied entry into the venue despite receiving the messages via SMS and emails, along with the letter of invitation for the exercise.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, one of the candidates, who craved anonymity, said her TSN had been substituted for another candidate who had been documented and started working.

She said her name was no longer on the new recruit list when she went for documentation on April 17.

The lady said, “I applied for the FFS job in November 2024 via the portal. I didn’t go through anybody. All the processes were done on the FFS portal. In March 2025, I got my letter of invitation for documentation with a probational offer of appointment. I was asked to go to the FCT Command of the FFS for documentation on the 24th of March.

“I was already in Abuja when they sent another message that they had rescheduled our documentation date to April 7th, 2025. I had to travel back to my state. Afterwards, we got another message that our documentation had been postponed to 17th of April. I had to wait in Abuja because of the cost of transportation and every other thing.

“I went to the venue of the documentation on the date I was asked to appear. The security guard at the gate asked to see my letter of invitation, and he sent me back after I showed it to him. After a while, I went back to the security again and started mounting pressure on him.”

She added, “Later, somebody at that place took me inside the building. He asked where I got the letter and I told him I applied for the job via the FFS portal. He said the letter was fake. I asked what he meant by that — how could the letter be fake when I had been getting messages from the CDCFIB?

“While that was going on, another officer asked me to go upstairs, and then he checked my letter and name on the system. To my surprise, someone was already using my TSN. I was confused. He had to show me one master list and said someone’s name was already allocated to the TSN, and that the person had documented and finished training.”

Another victim also narrated a similar scenario to Sunday PUNCH, stating that he was denied access to the venue of the documentation after presenting his letter.

The candidate said he was told by one of the FFS officers at the gate that a wrong person had signed his letter, even when they saw that it was signed by the Secretary to the Board.

“I applied for the job on the FFS portal and after a while, I received a message from the CDCFIB on both email and SMS, informing me of my documentation schedule. After two postponements, I went to the FFS Command on Wednesday (April 23) but I was denied entry when I got there.

“After a while, I was directed to one officer who checked my letter. He laughed after checking it and declared, ‘This letter is not valid again.’ He emphasised that the letter was no longer valid, because the person who signed it (Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.)) was not the right person to sign the letter.

“He brought out a ‘master list’ after that and I saw that the TSN on my letter had been allocated to another person. He asked me to go back to my sponsor, saying I might likely get help and be considered. Many of us are affected in this situation.”

Reacting, the CG FFS expressed concern over the rising cases of job racketeering involving unscrupulous agents who deceive desperate job seekers with fake appointment and invitation letters.

Jaji noted that the service did not authorise any third parties to conduct recruitment on its behalf and reiterated that all official processes were handled transparently through recognised government platforms.

He noted that the service uncovered several of fake letters, and made the strategic decision to quietly suspend the documentation process without any public announcement.

“To our surprise, the fraudsters—completely unaware of our move—went ahead and printed even more fake letters. We could only watch and laugh, knowing they had already exposed themselves.

“Henceforth, anyone caught presenting forged documents in a bid to secure employment will face immediate arrest and prosecution,” the CG said.

“On behalf of the Board, I challenge anyone in possession of a genuine appointment letter who claims to have been unjustly denied the opportunity to come forward with it”.

He further assured that genuine opportunities within the agency will always be publicly announced through proper, verifiable channels.

The Sultanate Council in Sokoto has called on Muslims to begin searching for the new moon of Zulki’ida 1446AH on Sunday, April 27, 2025.

This marks the 29th day of Shawwal 1446AH, the traditional time for moon sighting.

According to a press release signed by Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu, Chairman of the Council’s Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Muslims are urged to report any sighting of the new moon to the nearest District or Village Head.

The information will then be communicated to the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

The Council has prayed for divine support in fulfilling this religious responsibility, saying, “May Allah (SWT) help us in the discharge of this religious duty, amen.”

The sighting of the new moon is crucial in determining the start of a new Islamic month, and Muslims are expected to follow the traditional method of moon sighting to mark important dates in the Islamic calendar.