In Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Operation Forest Sanity personnel detained a suspect who was in possession of a significant amount of ammunition.
Samuel Aruwan, the state’s commissioner for the ministry of internal security and home affairs, informed reporters of the development on Thursday.
He said that security organizations working in the state had notified the government of the arrest.
Aminu Abdullahi, the suspect, was detained while transporting the substantial cache of ammunition through the volatile Polwire neighborhood in the Birnin Gwari council district, according to Mr. Aruwan.
“In another significant breakthrough, troops of Operation Forest Sanity have intercepted a large quantity of ammunition being conveyed to bandits by a courier around Polewire in Birnin Gwari LGA.
“According to a report forwarded to the Kaduna State Government, the troops followed up on credible intelligence around gunrunning activities, and in the course of diligent checks stopped a suspicious-looking vehicle within the location of interest.
“A search of the intercepted vehicle – a black Toyota Corolla – revealed more than 2,000 rounds of various grades of ammunition, concealed in different parts of the car.
“After a thorough search of the vehicle, the following precise quantities were recovered: 1,079 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition 886 rounds of 7.62mm belted ammunition and 139 rounds of 7.62mm tracer ammunition,” the official’s statement said.
Five empty AK-47 magazines were also recovered, and the driver of the vehicle, Mr Abdullahi, is in custody for further investigation, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Mr Aruwan said Governor Nasir El-Rufai noted the report with satisfaction and thanked the troops for their proactiveness in denying bandits a major supply of ammunition meant to mete out more destruction and suffering.
The Governor warmly appreciated the leadership of the General Officer Commanding, One Division, T.A. Lagbaja, a major general, for the latest notable breakthrough recorded.
He charged the security forces to proceed with a thorough investigation of the arrested suspect and intensify efforts towards dismantling gun-running networks across the State and beyond.
The latest breakthrough by the security forces followed the killing of many suspected terrorists on Wednesday by the Air Components of Operation Whirl Punch of the Nigerian Airforce’s airstrike in the same Birnin Gwari area.
In Wednesday’s operation, the terrorists attacked Sabon Layi village in Birnin Gwari before they were engaged. They met their end in the hands of the Nigerian security forces who rushed to the area following a distress call.
Kaduna is one of the North-west states being troubled by non-state actors, killing and kidnapping residents for ransom.