Troops of the Nigerian army and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a suspected gunrunner in Kano while transporting a cache of ammunition.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert on Lake Chad security, sources said the suspect, a female courier, was arrested at about 3am on Saturday following intelligence on the movement of illegal arms and ammunition through the state.
She was intercepted while conveying 884 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition believed to be bound for bandits in Zamfara state from Plateau.
The suspect was reportedly travelling with her 10-year-old daughter at the time of the arrest.
Preliminary investigations indicated that she had been contracted to transport the ammunition to Zamfara.
Security sources said the suspect allegedly confessed to receiving ₦50,000 as an advance payment to deliver the consignment and was promised additional payment upon successful delivery.
The sources also said she admitted during interrogation that she had carried out 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,” Makama quoted a security source as saying.
Authorities said the suspect and the recovered ammunition have been handed over to the DSS for further investigation and possible prosecution.
They added that investigations are ongoing to uncover the wider network behind the ammunition supply chain and identify other collaborators involved in the illegal arms trafficking operation.
