Operatives of the Department of State Services have apprehended a suspected arms courier in Kano State who was allegedly moving a cache of weapons intended for a notorious bandit leader operating in Zamfara State.
According to an operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday, the suspect was caught on Friday in the Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State following actionable intelligence.
The report indicated that the suspect was intercepted while transporting weapons and ammunition from the Maigatari Local Government Area of Jigawa State toward Funtua in Katsina State, with the ultimate goal of delivering them to criminal elements.
“Items recovered from the suspect include three AK-47 rifles, four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes and warheads, as well as two empty magazines.
Preliminary investigations detailed in the report have linked the seized consignment to a prominent bandit kingpin believed to be operating within various parts of Zamfara Stat
“The suspect confessed that he was contracted to transport the weapons from Maigatari to Funtua and was promised a payment of N450,000 upon successful delivery.
“Investigations are ongoing to unravel the network behind the arms movement and identify other collaborators involved in the operation,” the report stated
Security officials described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the ongoing campaign to disrupt the supply chains of arms and ammunition feeding criminal syndicates, which are responsible for violent attacks, abductions, and other security crises across the North-West region.
The suspect is currently being held in DSS custody for deeper investigation and faces potential prosecution in compliance with the law.
The report concluded by noting that security agencies are continually intensifying their intelligence-driven operations to completely dismantle the logistical infrastructure that sustains banditry, terrorism, and organized crime throughout the nation.
