A suspected gunrunner identified as Alhaji Shehu, who allegedly supplies dangerous weapons to bandits has been arrested by troops of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Kaduna.
It was gathered that the men of the Operation Thunder Strike picked up the suspect from his residence in Sabogaya, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
The troops also arrested two persons suspected to be kidnappers while they were allegedly negotiating the rental of an AK47 rifle for an operation.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Colonel Ezindu Idimah, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued in Kaduna.
He said the gunrunner was arrested on Saturday, while the two other suspects were arrested while they were negotiating to rent a gun from a local vigilante.
He said, “acting on reliable information, troops trailed the suspect, one Alhaji Shehu, to his residence at Sabogaya in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where a search was conducted and six AK 47 rifles were recovered.
“Following the discovery, Shehu alleged that only one of the weapons belonged to him while the rest were kept by his son, brothers and in-laws. Efforts are on-going to apprehend the other suspects.”
In another development, Idimah said, “Troops also arrested one Kamilu Lawal, who was negotiating with a vigilante operative to give him his rifle for a kidnapping operation and promised to reward the operative with the sum of N150,000.00.”
He noted that the suspects will be handed over to the police after preliminary interrogation for further investigation and prosecution.
He assured that troops would remain resolute in combating all forms criminality along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
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