Story by Iyiola Ayomide
Police operatives attached to the Federal Intelligence Department-Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) have smashed a 30-year-old female member of an arm-smuggling syndicate.
The suspect, Hauwa Sani, a resident of Doro Village, on the Keffi/Abuja Expressway, was arrested on December 23, 2024, at about 5:50pm, with 124 rounds of live ammunition of various calibers.
The ammunition, the police authorities, through the Force spokesman (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, was concealed in a 5-litre container of palm oil.
She, however, confessed of running an errand for one Nasiru in Daura to deliver the ammunition in Katsina State.
Further Investigations have led to several other recoveries, with some arrests, all of whom are currently undergoing profiling, Adejobi disclosed.
He also urged citizens to be wary and remain conscious of the antics of arm-smugglers, adding that, “suspicious items should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities”.
Operatives of the FID-STS, in another operation on February 1, 2025, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted three residents of Postiskum, Yobe State, while transporting 30 cartons of codeine syrups and other various hard drugs around Postiskum.
Following their arrest, the all-male suspects, Alhaji Usman Yahaya, 50; Joseph Matthew, 27, and Solomon Bala, 25, confessed that the drugs were intended to be supplied to bandits, Boko Haram insurgents and kidnappers, all syndicates terrorizing Yobe State and neighbouring countries.
Also, on February 3, 2025, the same FID-STS operatives, got hold of three young men, from whom 10 AK-47 rifles were recovered.
The suspects, identified as 24-year-old Yusuf Dantani; Usman Labaran, 32; and Musa Mohammed, 23, confessed during interrogation to have, overtime, been involved in several arms deal.
They also owned up to have received in advance the sum of Three Million Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira (N3,980,000) for the last batch of arms they were supposed to sell.
“These successful operations highlight the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to proactively combat crime, disrupt criminal networks, and ensure the safety and security of all citizens”, the FPRO said adding that, “The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its efforts to dismantle criminal enterprises and bring perpetrators to justice. We urge the public to continue to support our efforts by providing timely and accurate information that can aid in crime prevention and detection”.