Community leaders in Katsina and Nasarawa states have commended the Department of State Services (DSS) following the arrest of an alleged arms-trafficking kingpin and a suspected ammunition courier linked to an illicit weapons supply network operating across parts of northern Nigeria.
The alleged kingpin, identified as 28-year-old Mubarak, a native of Mashema Village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, was arrested by DSS operatives on Tuesday in Magabar Jibia, Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
According to community leaders, the arrest has helped security operatives uncover a network allegedly involved in supplying weapons to terrorists and other criminal elements across several northern states.
A community leader in Jibia said residents were relieved by the arrest, alleging that the suspect and members of his network had contributed to years of insecurity in the area.
In a related operation in Nasarawa State, DSS operatives reportedly arrested an alleged arms courier, Ismail Lawalli, along the Keffi-Abuja Highway on Sunday evening.
The suspect was allegedly found with 1,099 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 57 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and 106 rounds of General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) ammunition.
A retired security agent who spoke on the operation said Lawalli allegedly admitted transporting the ammunition to Mubarak, information which reportedly assisted the DSS in tracking and arresting the alleged kingpin in Katsina.
The community leader also disclosed that Mubarak’s elder brother, Mustapha Abubakar, had earlier been arrested in Gusau, Zamfara State, with an AK-47 rifle and 20 rounds of ammunition over alleged arms trafficking.
The suspects are currently in DSS custody for further investigation, according to the report.
The community leaders urged security agencies to sustain operations against illicit arms dealers, saying disrupting weapons supply networks would help reduce the flow of arms to terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups operating in the region.
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