Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 3 Brigade, 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 believed to be headed for bandits in Zamfara State.
Security sources said the suspect, a female courier, was arrested at about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday following credible intelligence on the movement of illegal arms and ammunition through Kano.
According to the sources, the woman was intercepted while transporting 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 investigations indicated that the suspect had been recruited by criminal elements to deliver the ammunition to Zamfara, one of the states worst affected by banditry and armed violence.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed that she received ₦50,000 as an advance payment for transporting the consignment and was promised additional payment upon successful delivery.
Security sources further revealed that the suspect admitted carrying out similar assignments on two previous occasions.
“The suspect was intercepted based on 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 highlights the increasing use of civilian couriers by criminal networks involved in arms trafficking across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions.
The use of major transit hubs such as Kano for the movement of ammunition has remained a key factor enabling bandit groups operating in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and neighbouring states.
Authorities said the suspect and the recovered ammunition have been handed over to the DSS for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover the wider network behind the illegal arms supply chain and identify other collaborators involved in the operation.
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