From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested two suspected arms traffickers found transporting a large cache of military-grade weapons, including a general-purpose machine gun, in a major crackdown on illegal arms movement through the state.
This was disclosed on Wednesday in a press release signed by the Police Public Relations officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel and sent to journalists
stating that the police acting on credible intelligence, police intercepted the suspects at about 3:09 a.m. today while traveling through Lafia on their way to Ilorin, Kwara State.
He said the Anti-Kidnapping Unit swiftly arrested Lawal Sani, 40, a commercial bus driver from Katsina State, and Dahiru Abdullahi, 75, a cattle trader operating in Nasarawa.
The police seized one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), three AK-47 rifles, one TAB 06 rifle, over a thousand rounds of ammunition, four empty magazines, and a Toyota Hiace bus used to transport the weapons.
Commissioner of Police Shetima Jauro Mohammed said the suspects confessed to being paid ₦500,000 to move the weapons from Benue to Kwara State. “This seizure disrupts a dangerous supply chain that could have armed multiple criminal groups,” he said.
He added that the suspects are currently in police custody as investigations continue to uncover the full network behind the arms trafficking. The police have also called on the public to report any suspicious activity through official hotlines as they intensify efforts to secure the state.