Troops of Sector 7 under Operation ENDURING PEACE have intercepted a suspected arms trafficking syndicate in Kaduna State, recovering seven illegally manufactured firearms during an intelligence-led operation aimed at disrupting the movement of weapons across northern Nigeria.
The Nigerian Army said the operation was carried out in the early hours of Monday at the Samaru Checkpoint in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area following credible intelligence that illicit weapons were being transported from Jos, Plateau State, to Niger State.
According to the Army, soldiers stopped an ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz during a targeted search and discovered three locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and four submachine guns concealed inside the vehicle.
One of the suspects reportedly attempted to flee during the operation but was shot while trying to escape arrest. The Army said the injured suspect was immediately evacuated to the Sector 7 Medical Centre in Kafanchan, where he is receiving medical treatment.
Preliminary investigations, according to the military, indicate that the recovered weapons were allegedly supplied by two suspected arms dealers operating from Jos and were being transported to an intended recipient in Niger State.
The Army described the interception as a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms, warning that the circulation of illicit weapons continues to fuel banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other violent crimes across the country.
“This successful interception underscores the firm resolve of the Nigerian Army to disrupt arms proliferation and dismantle criminal networks that threaten national security,” the military said.
Security agencies have repeatedly identified the illegal movement of small arms and light weapons as one of the major drivers of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions where criminal groups rely on illicit weapons to sustain attacks on communities.
