Troops of 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have arrested a suspected gunrunner in Kano State while transporting a large cache of ammunition allegedly destined for bandits in Zamfara State.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama the suspect, a female courier, was apprehended at about 3:00 a.m. on March 14 following credible intelligence on the movement of illegal arms and ammunition through Kano.
According to the sources, the suspect was intercepted while conveying 884 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition from Plateau State to Zamfara State through Kano.
She was reportedly travelling with her 10-year-old daughter at the time of the arrest.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had been contracted by criminal elements to transport the ammunition to Zamfara State, an area heavily affected by banditry and armed violence.
The suspect allegedly confessed that she was paid ₦50,000 as an advance to move the consignment and was expected to receive additional payment upon successful delivery.
Security sources further disclosed that the suspect admitted during interrogation that she had undertaken similar assignments on two previous occasions.
“The suspect was intercepted following actionable intelligence regarding the movement of ammunition through Kano. A total of 884 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered during the operation,” a security source said.
The arrest illustrated the growing use of civilian couriers by criminal networks involved in arms trafficking across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions.
The movement of ammunition through major transit hubs such as Kano has remained a critical enabler for bandit groups operating in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and neighbouring states.
The suspect and the recovered ammunition have been handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The authorities say investigations are ongoing to uncover the wider network behind the ammunition supply chain and identify other collaborators involved in the illegal arms trafficking operation.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
