Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, has praised the Department of State Services for providing intelligence that enabled the Nigerian Armed Forces to intercept a significant cache of arms and ammunition smuggled from Niger Republic.
Governor Lawal gave the commendation on Tuesday night after inspecting the seized weapons in Gusau, the state capital. He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support of security agencies in their efforts to make Zamfara and Nigeria safer.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to backing security forces in the fight against terrorism and criminal activities in the state. “We will continue to support the security agencies in Zamfara State to tackle terrorists and criminals,” he assured.
The governor also commended the DSS operatives for their professionalism and expressed confidence in the agency’s capability to safeguard Nigeria’s internal security.
The seizure followed a coordinated operation by DSS operatives and troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, who successfully tracked a notorious arms courier, Abubakar Umar, also known as Dangada, from Niger Republic to the Kaura Namoda-Zurmi Road on Monday and Tuesday.
Security sources revealed that intelligence gathered by the DSS indicated that Umar was transporting the weapons to Birnin Magaji Local Government Area, where they were meant for delivery to key bandit leaders, including Kachallah Atta, Alhaji Shinge, Alhaji Nashama, and an individual identified as Zaki.
According to DSS sources, the arms couriers abandoned a red Volkswagen Golf station wagon with Abuja registration number RBC 731 GU after sustaining serious gunshot wounds. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of seven AK-47 rifles, two PKT General Purpose Machine Guns, and two AK-103 rifles. Also seized were 169 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition, nine PKT rounds with a chain, and 13 empty magazines.
The successful operation is part of ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of arms in the region and dismantle criminal networks threatening the security of Zamfara and beyond.
