By Godwin Ogar
Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, have arrested a suspect who has been supplying ammunition to bandits across several states.
The suspect, a 25-year-old female identified as Nafisa Usman was arrested at Unguwa Uku Motor Park in Kano State with 200 rounds of ammunition, reportedly transported from Lafia in Nasarawa State and headed for Kankara in Katsina State.
A security source at the DSS Headquarters in Abuja revealed to the Nigerian Pilot that the operation which led to the arrest of Ms. Usman followed actionable intelligence and revealed her movement and activities.
According to the source, “Nafisa, a native of Zango village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, was intercepted before completing the delivery allegedly meant for bandits operating in the Kankara forest.
“The suspect confessed to having been two months old in the trade of illegally shipping arms and ammunition for criminals. She revealed that the ammunition was handed to her by an individual identified as ‘Teso,’ whom she claimed operates in collaboration with a military operative based in Lafia, Nasarawa State,” he added.
The source further revealed that the suspect admitted her involvement and revealed that she had facilitated over ₦5 million in deals through Unguwa Uku motor park in Kano State for onward transportation to Katsina State.
The 200 rounds of ammunition intercepted by operatives of the DSS were meant to be supplied to a bandit leader in Kankara known as Mallam Haruna, who has been notorious in banditry around that axis.
The suspect, Nafisa Usman, also revealed that she had been supplying ammunition to two other bandits known as Buba and Abu around the same forest region in Katsina State.
In her confession to the DSS operatives, Nafisa is said to have revealed that she was introduced into the banditry network by a Kano-based livestock trader simply identified as Sulaiman.
“This operation, among many others, underscores the DSS’s relentless efforts to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt illicit arms supply chains, and safeguard national security,” according to our source at the DSS headquarters.
