Gunrunners Squad Foiled, as Police Bust Arms Smugglers in Lafia Midnight Sting Operation.
By Raymond Enoch
In a major crackdown on illegal arms trafficking, the Nasarawa State Police Command has intercepted a dangerous shipment of high-powered weapons bound for Kwara State, arresting two suspects in a swift midnight operation.
According to a statement made available to the press by SP Ramhan Nansel, Anipr, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nasarawa State Command, the operation was carried out under the directive of Commissioner of Police CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, who described the bust as a decisive victory in the fight against arms smuggling.
Acting on credible intelligence, officers from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit launched a precision operation midnight of June 4th, intercepting a grey Toyota Hiace bus with registration number AAA 926 XL along the Lafia axis. The vehicle was found to be loaded with a disturbing cache of arms and ammunition.
The suspects—Lawal Sani, a 40-year-old commercial driver from Funtua LGA, Katsina State, and Dahiru Abdullahi, a 75-year-old cattle trader from Kaduna North—were taken into custody. Dahiru is reportedly a regular operator at the Keffi Cattle Market.
Seized Items Include:
1 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)
3 AK-47 rifles
1 TAB 06 rifle
1,096 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition
20 rounds of 7.62mm NATO calibre ammunition
4 empty magazines
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being paid ₦500,000 to transport the weapons from Benue State to Ilorin, Kwara State—a transaction police say could have armed multiple criminal elements.
Commissioner Mohammed commended the operatives, declaring that Nasarawa will not serve as a safe corridor for crime. “The safety of our communities is non-negotiable. We will not relent in hunting down those who profit from violence and insecurity,” he stated.
Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation to dismantle the wider criminal network involved in the arms trade.
The public is urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity via the official police hotlines: 08112692680, 08032564469, 08036157659, 08037461715, 07032532391.
This landmark operation, according to SP Ramhan Nansel who signed the statement, reaffirms the Command’s resolve to secure Nasarawa and protect the lives of law-abiding citizens.
