The Zamfara Police Command has arrested a suspected female gunrunner for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to bandits.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the command had also recovered 325 live ammunition of AK-47 riffles from her.
It had also succeeded in the arrest of other suspects for alleged possession of 1000 registered MTN Sim packs.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu disclosed this in a statement issued in Gusau.
Shehu said that the suspected gunrunner Fatima Sani, 35, was arrested following intelligence report over her alleged supply of arms and ammunition to bandits in the state from Lafia town in Nasarawa State.
He said: “On 13th Feb., Police detectives arrested the suspected female gunrunner in possession of 325 rounds of live ammunition.
“‘The arrest followed the intelligence information obtained about her movement with the said exhibit from Lafia in Nassarawa state to a notorious bandit’s kingpin operating in Zamfara forest.
“In the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed that she has been into the business.
“She further informed us that she had earlier supplied three AK 47 Rifles and 1000 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition to bandits operating in the state.”
The PPRO added that the woman, who was a native of Kaura-Namoda town in Zamfara would soon be arraigned in Court.
Shehu added: “On 15th Feb. Police received intelligence report that one suspect was seen with uncountable number of registered MTN sim cards.
“Police operatives swung into action, arrested the suspect and conducted an on-the-spot search while the exibits of 1000 sim cards were recovered from him.
“In the course of investigation, the suspect confessed that the sim cards were for sale to customers,” Shehu said.
According to the spokesperson, the command had on Feb 12, command through its community policing engagement acted on intelligence information that led to arrest of some suspected kidnappers.
Shehu added that they were suspected to have been terrorising some parts of Kaduna, Kano and other neighbouring states for long.
He added: “In the course of investigation, it was discovered that the suspects specialised in kidnapping business where unspecified number of people were abducted and collected millions of Naira as ransom.
“A member of the suspected syndicate, Thomas Ya’u confessed that he masterminded the kidnapping of his biological mother and three other victims.”