The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 10 suspects and recovered firearms and ammunition in separate intelligence-led operations targeting criminal networks involved in the illegal possession, trafficking and distribution of weapons across the country.
The Force stated on Thursday that the operations, conducted by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Force Headquarters, resulted in the disruption of suspected kidnapping and firearms trafficking syndicates operating across the South-South and North-Central regions.
In one of the operations conducted across Imo and Rivers States, eight suspects were arrested in connection with a suspected criminal syndicate allegedly involved in kidnapping and illegal firearms procurement.
The operation led to the arrest of the principal suspect, identified as Mohammadu Sani, on the outskirts of Owerri, Imo State. An AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered from him.
Police investigations revealed that Sani had previously operated in Kogi State before relocating to Port Harcourt, where he allegedly began efforts to reconstitute his criminal network.
Further findings allegedly linked members of the syndicate to kidnapping operations in parts of Rivers and Imo States, while investigators also traced the recovered firearm to an alleged firearms trafficking intermediary.
In a separate operation targeting a suspected firearms trafficking syndicate in the North-Central region, police arrested Yakubu Danladi Pam and Abdulsalam Mohammed Hussain.
The operatives recovered one locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, one Type 06 rifle, two magazines and 28 rounds of live ammunition from the suspects.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects were allegedly involved in the supply, transportation and distribution of firearms across parts of the North-Central and North-Eastern regions.
The Force said efforts had been intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicates and further disrupt the illegal movement of firearms used to facilitate kidnapping and other violent crimes.
