Police arrest ex-military man supplying weapons to bandits

Operatives of the Nigeria Police have intercepted a former military man suspected to be suppliers of weapons to bandits in Zamfara state with a large cache of arms and ammunition.

The suspect, Sa’idu Lawal, who was a lance corporal in the Nigerian Army, was paraded before journalists on Wednesday by the spokesman for the state police command, Mohammed Shehu, at the command headquarters in Gusau.

He said Lawal was arrested in possession of two rifles, a cache of ammunition, and eight empty magazines along the Abuja–Kaduna highway.

The spokesman described the suspect as a notorious kidnapper, armed robber, and gunrunner.

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He added that Lawal has been supplying arms to bandits in the North-West even as a serving soldier.

Shehu said: “One AK-47 rifle, one AK-49 rifle, 200 rounds of 7.6mm live ammunition, 501 rounds of 7.62x51mm ammunition and eight empty magazines were recovered from the suspect.

“He was intercepted in a Pontiac Vibe vehicle with Lagos registration number KRD 686 CY on the Abuja-Kaduna Highway on his way to Zamfara.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he was conveying the exhibits from Loko Local Government Area of Nasarawa State to his customer, one Dogo Hamza, in Bacha village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.

“He also confessed that he had previously supplied similar consignment to other customers in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and Kebbi States.”