Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested three suspected gunrunners accused of supplying arms and ammunition to bandits in Kaduna State.
According to the agency, the arrests were made during coordinated sting operations in Igabi and Kachia Local Government Areas of the state.
In a statement obtained by reporters, the DSS said one of the suspects, a 30-year-old man, was intercepted along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Bypass in Igabi while transporting two AK-47 rifles, one PKT machine gun, over 200 rounds of live ammunition, and four empty magazines concealed in sacks of maize.
Two other suspects were apprehended at Doka village in Kachia, along the Abuja–Kaduna Expressway, while allegedly trafficking three AK-47 rifles to bandits in a Volkswagen Golf car.
Reacting to the development, Governor Uba Sani commended the DSS for the successful operation, reiterating his administration’s resolve to stamp out criminality across the state.
“There will be no hiding place for bandits and other criminal elements under our peace model,” the governor declared through his Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu (SAN).
Governor Sani also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the Director-General of the DSS for their continued support of Kaduna’s security framework. He noted that the non-kinetic peace model adopted by his administration has contributed significantly to the reduction of crime rates across the state.
He further warned criminal elements to desist from acts capable of undermining Kaduna’s stability, emphasizing that government security agencies remain on high alert.
Meanwhile, the DSS confirmed that investigations into the matter were ongoing and assured that the suspects would face the full weight of the law.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to curbing arms trafficking and ensuring that Kaduna State does not become a safe corridor for illegal weapons.