By SUNDAY JOHN

The Police Command in Nasarawa State says it has arrested two suspected arms trafficker with large cache of high-grade firearms and ammunition in the state.

SP Ramhan Nansel, the Command?s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), announced this in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Lafia.

He said that the feat was significant in the fight against illegal arms trafficking.

According to the PPRO, the Command, acting on credible intelligence at about 3:00 a.m on Wednesday, intercepted the two suspects travelling through Lafia in possession of a large cache of high-grade firearms and ammunition en route Ilorin, Kwara State from Benue.

?Following swift deployment of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, an intense and meticulously executed operation led to the arrest of the suspects,? he said.

Nansel gave the names of the suspects as Lawal Sani, a 40 -year-old commercial bus driver from Makwalla Area, Funtua Local Government Area, Katsina State, and Dahiru Abdullahi, 75, a cattle trader operating in Keffi Cattle Market and from Angwan Dosa, Kaduna North LGA, Kaduna State.

He listed the items recovered from the suspects to include: one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), three AK-47 rifles, one TAB 06 rifle, and 1,096 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition.

Others are 20 rounds of 7.62mm NATO caliber ammunition, four empty magazines, and one Toyota Hiace bus, grey in color with registration number AAA 926 XL.

The Command?s spokesperson said that the suspects had confessed to have been paid N500,000 to transport the weapons from Benue to Kwara State, a transaction that could have armed multiple criminal networks.

He said the suspects have been taken into custody, and that investigation was ongoing to uncover the network behind the operation.

Nansel quoted the Commissioner of Police in the State, Shettima Jauro-Mohammed, as describing the operation as a resounding message to all criminal elements that Nasarawa State is not a safe corridor for crime.

He maintained that the Police remain unshaken in their resolve to dismantle illegal arms networks and protect the lives of innocent citizens.

He urged members of the public to stay alert and continue to report suspicious activities for prompt response.

He availed the public with the following official hotlines: 08112692680, 08032564469, 08036157659, 08037461715, and 07032532391 to report for prompt response. (NAN)

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