Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command have arrested two notorious gunrunners in the Zaria local government area of the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
He said the suspects were arrested on Thursday, December 5th, 2024 by officers from 47 Police Mobile Force Squadron Zaria during a routine vehicular patrol along the Zaria-Jos Road.
The police spokesman said that the suspects, identified as Zubairu Musa, and Nasiru Saidu, who are both natives of Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, were found in possession of a bag containing eight locally made pump-action guns, one locally made pistol and 65 live cartridges.
Hassan further disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were involved in the illegal trafficking of firearms, noting that suspects are currently cooperating with the police to aid in the apprehension of their accomplices and to uncover the full extent of the gunrunning network within Kaduna State.
Responding, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Abdullahi, commended the officers for their swift response.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to maintaining law and order and urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the police.
Kaduna, one of the North-Western states, is affected insecurity, notably banditry.
Over time, the bandits terrorise residents, raid and loot villages, kill and kidnap residents, and burn homes to the ground.
The gangs maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, and have become notorious for the mass kidnapping of school pupils.
The Nigerian military has in recent weeks launched extensive operations against bandits in Zamfara and Sokoto to crack down on worsening deadly attacks by bandits on remote villages.
The military offensives have led to the killing of several kingpins including Halilu Sububu, considered the main bandit leader in northwestern Nigeria.