Police Arrest 9 Suspected Gunrunners, Drug Traffickers In Crackdown

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested nine suspects in a major crackdown on gunrunners and drug traffickers across the country.

The operatives of the Force Intelligence Department  Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) also dismantled several criminal networks nationwide.

Force spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, who addressed journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the coordinated operations by the IRT led to the arrest of the nine suspects in seven major cases and the recovery of a large cache of weapons and illicit drugs.

He said one Adamu Zaki Babangida was arrested for criminal conspiracy, arms dealings, and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms; Daudume Bayina was nabbed for criminal conspiracy, arms dealings, while Chibuke Nnaji, Joshua Izang aka Buffalo, were picked up for unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.

Others are John Magah, Ishaya Stephen, who were held for arms supplies; Ifeanyi Egbeke was arrested for illegal drug supply; Salisu Mohammed aka Mande Dawa was nabbed for criminal conspiracy, arms dealings and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms and Uchenna Ikpe was caught with 24 bags of Indian Hemp.

The Force spokesperson further stated that the operations resulted in the seizure of AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, pistols, locally fabricated firearms, ammunition and Indian hemp and large quantities of controlled pharmaceutical drugs.

Some of the suspects were said to be long-time arms suppliers to bandits operating in border communities in Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara, while others were involved in supplying drugs to criminal groups terrorising several states.

Hundeyin sad that investigations uncovered links between gunrunners, drug traffickers and kidnapping syndicates, noting that some suspects admitted to operating for years and supplying arms to bandits.

Some of the exhibits recovered were two AK-47 rifles, three pump action rifles, two single-barrelled guns, two Beretta pistols, four locally fabricated revolver rifles, six live cartridges, four magazines, 35 rounds of live ammunition of various calibres and 24 bags of Indian hemp, among other exhibits, which were displayed by the police.