A former British army reservist was arrested in Nigeria for alleged arms smuggling, prompting investigations and calls for UK-Nigeria cooperation amid ongoing regional insecurity.

A British citizen is currently under investigation in Nigeria following his arrest over alleged involvement in arms smuggling, as the West African nation continues to grapple with widespread insecurity.

Initial reports from Nigerian media outlets had claimed that the suspect is a serving officer in the British Army. However, this assertion was firmly denied by the British High Commission in Nigeria. In a statement released on Wednesday, the commission clarified that the individual in question is no longer an active member of the UK Armed Forces. According to the statement, the man had previously served in the UK Armed Forces Reserves, holding a junior rank, but had since been discharged.

"The individual identified in recent Nigerian media reporting is not a serving member of the UK Armed Forces," a spokesperson from the British High Commission stated.

Citing the UK’s Data Protection Act, the commission added that it could not disclose any further personal information about the suspect.

Reports indicate that the suspect was intercepted by Nigerian authorities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while attempting to board a flight bound for the United Kingdom. Nigerian media sources described the suspect as a British citizen of Nigerian descent. His arrest is reportedly connected to the alleged acquisition and trafficking of illegal arms in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

The Niger Delta has long been a hotspot for unrest, with ongoing clashes between government forces and militant groups demanding a larger share of the region’s oil wealth. These armed groups are often accused of engaging in criminal activities such as kidnapping for ransom and sabotaging oil infrastructure—actions that have inflicted significant economic damage, costing Nigeria billions of dollars in lost revenue.

The situation has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. The country also faces persistent violence in the northern region, where terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), as well as criminal kidnapping syndicates, continue to pose serious security threats.

Experts and analysts have repeatedly questioned how these groups sustain their operations, with some suggesting the possibility of external sources of funding and arms supply. This suspicion gained traction after the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, when a senior American official alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had, at one point, helped fund terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.

In response to the latest arrest, campaigners held a demonstration outside the British High Commission in Nigeria, urging the UK government to support Nigerian authorities in conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident involving its citizen. As of now, Nigerian officials have not released additional details regarding the case.