A 50-year-old man, Ahmadu Mohammed, suspected to be a gun runner has been arrested by the Troops of 1 Division deployed in Operation Whirl Punch.
They recovered 10 locally-made rifles from him.
According to a military source, who informed newsmen in Kaduna, the suspected arms dealer was arrested when trying to smuggle arms to bandits.
The military source said the man was arrested on his way to Pandogari in Niger State, to deliver the weapons to Yunusa Madaki, a suspected bandit on the wanted list of security agencies.
According to the source, Mohammed had been supplying weapons to bandits and kidnappers terrorising people in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna state.
“Acting on information, soldiers trailed and intercepted the vehicle conveying the suspect.
“Following a search in and around the vehicle, 10 locally-made rifles capable of firing 7.62 Millimetre North Atlantic Organisation (NATO) ammunition were recovered.
“The arms were concealed in a sack containing beans chaff.
“During interrogation, the suspect claimed that the weapons were given to him by Ali Makeri, a manufacturer of the weapons, to deliver them to Yunusa Madaki, who lives at Shamuyabo village in Pandogari town.
“Madaki is a notorious bandit, who has been on the wanted lists of security agencies,” the source explained.
The source assured that the suspect would be handed over to the police after preliminary investigation and appealed to the public to provide information that would assist security agencies to apprehend such undesirable elements.
