Olayiwola Matthew
Troops of Operation Forest Sanity have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against banditry with the arrest of a suspected arms courier, Aminu Abdullahi, in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Security sources disclosed that the suspect was apprehended around the volatile Polewire axis while allegedly transporting a large cache of ammunition believed to be destined for armed bandit groups operating in the area.
The arrest followed credible intelligence on ongoing gunrunning activities within the forest corridors of Birnin Gwari, a region long plagued by bandit attacks and criminal networks. Acting on the intelligence, troops intercepted a suspicious vehicle and conducted a thorough search, leading to the discovery of concealed ammunition.
Investigations revealed that more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the vehicle. The haul included 1,079 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 886 rounds of 7.62mm belted ammunition, and 139 rounds of tracer ammunition, along with several empty AK-47 magazines.
Authorities said the scale and type of the recovered arms suggest they were meant to reinforce bandit groups responsible for sustained attacks, kidnappings, and killings across communities in Kaduna’s northwest corridor
Aminu Abdullahi, who was driving the vehicle at the time of interception, is currently in custody and undergoing further interrogation as security agencies intensify efforts to dismantle arms supply chains fuelin the region.
The development has been described as a significant disruption of logistics networks sustaining bandit operations in Birnin Gwari, an area that has witnessed repeated assaults by armed groups and remains a critical theatre in Nigeria’s ongoing internal security operations.
Officials say follow-up operations are ongoing to identify collaborators and trace the wider network behind the illicit arms movement.
