In a dramatic pre-dawn operation, operatives of the Nasarawa State Police Command intercepted a dangerous shipment of military-grade weapons destined for Kwara State—averting what could have been a major security catastrophe.
Acting on precise and actionable intelligence, the police intercepted two suspected arms traffickers transporting a lethal arsenal from Benue through Lafia at approximately 3:09 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
The arrest was confirmed in an official statement by the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, who commended the swift action of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
According to Nansel, the suspects—75-year-old Dahiru Abdullahi from Funtua, Katsina State, and 40-year-old Lawal Sani, a commercial driver from Makwalla, also in Katsina—were caught red-handed with a chilling inventory of weapons concealed in a Toyota Hiace bus.
Recovered from the vehicle were:
One General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)
Three AK-47 rifles
One TAB 06 assault rifle
1,086 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition
20 rounds of 7.62 NATO calibre ammunition
Four empty magazines
DSP Nansel revealed that during preliminary interrogation, the suspects confessed to being hired for N500,000 to smuggle the weapons from Benue to Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State—a route increasingly exploited by criminal syndicates.
“This dangerous consignment, if not intercepted, could have fueled violence and armed multiple criminal networks,” Nansel stated.
He added that a full-scale investigation is currently underway to trace the source of the arms, identify the sponsors, and dismantle the trafficking ring. The two suspects remain in custody as detectives dig deeper into what appears to be part of a wider gun-running operation across Northern Nigeria.
The swift interception comes at a critical time when security agencies are intensifying efforts to curb the influx of illegal arms and combat rising insecurity across the country.
As authorities work to uncover the masterminds behind this deadly trade, the operation has drawn praise from citizens and security observers alike, highlighting the importance of intelligence-led policing in Nigeria’s fight against organized crime.
PIONEER NEWS 