Operation Whirl Punch: Troops arrest 3 gunrunners, recover 44 rifles in Niger

Troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army deployed for Operation Whirl Punch have arrested three notorious gun runners; Aminu Umar, 32, Shehu Samaila, 25 and Bilyaminu Abdullahi, 22.

The gunrunners were arrested in Niger state while heading to Bena in Danko/Wasagu local government area of Kebbi state which shares boundary with Zamfara state with 44 rifles and 351 cartridges.

A statement issued by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division Nigerian Army, Col. Muhammad Dole on Wednesday in Kaduna said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday December 11, 2018 during a stop and search operation at Rijau in Niger state.

He noted that the troops recovered 44 fabricated locally made single barrel rifles and 351 cartridges being conveyed in a Toyota Corolla with registration number ZUR 28DX Kebbi from the suspects.

According to Dole: “Preliminary investigation revealed that the gun runners were heading to Bena in Danko/Wasagu local government area of Kebbi state which shares boundary with Zamfara state. This arrest is similar to that of Mr. Rabi’u Akilu who was found in possession of 36 rifles and 343 rounds of ammunition neatly concealed in another Toyota Corolla heading to Zamfara state in November 2018.”

He assured that further interrogation is ongoing and called on motorists to continue to share credible information with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.

Col. Dole further reaffirmed that “troops of 1 Division conducting Operation Whirl Punch will remain resolutely committed to combating all forms of criminality in our area of operation”.

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