A forty one year-old retired Soldier turned bandit and arms supplier, said his masters paid him a hundred thousand naira on every delivery of arms and ammunition to Bandits and Kidnappers
The former soldier who voluntarily retired after nineteen years in Service said his elder brother introduced him to the criminal business and exposed him to Many bandit Camps and Kingpins
The retired army corporal was admitted into the Nigerian Army in the year 2003 and retired in 2022
The Suspect Sa’idu Lawal who has been supplying arms and Ammunition to six Troubled Northern States made the confessions at the Zamfara State Police Command, in Gusau
He said he has partners in crime across Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger States
Zamfara is one state that has been battling with insecurity especially Banditry, Kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling and other heinous crimes for over a decade
Sa’idu Lawal is a native of Zamfara State, from Mada village in Tsafe Local Government area
He has been supplying arms and Ammunition to a Notorious Bandit Kingpin known as Dogo Hamza who has been terrorising Tsafe Local Government for years
The weapons according to the suspect during interrogation are used in killing innocent citizens in Zamfara and other states Including his own village Mada
Mada is one of the Communities that has suffered in the hands of Bandits and Kidnappers recently which has forced almost eighty percent of the Locals to flee their Homes for fear of being attacked, killed or abducted
Despite efforts by security forces, violent crimes are on the rise and this is not unconnected to the easy access to small and light weapons in the country
The proliferation of arms, is as a result of numerous illegal and porous border entries and a booming gun-running business
This fuelling Nigeria’s security challenges, giving rise to criminal activities across the country
Lawal told Newsmen that he voluntarily retired from the service with the intention to start Transportation Business which according to him he did for a few months before joining Banditry and arms supply
The 41 year old Suspect was arrested by police Tactical escort of the Newly deployed Commissioner of Police Kolo Yusuf who is a professional Crime Fighter along Kaduna – ABUJA highway while on his way to deliver the items to his client in Zamfara
He said he bought the arms and ammunition in Loko local government area in Nasarawa state, North Central Nigeria
The Suspected gun runner insist his elder brother one Mallam Bello Introduced him to the business, prompting him to retire from the Army
He was on his to supply weapons worth over three million naira to his client Dogo Hamza in Zamfara when the police arrested hin
Experts said the porous nature of Nigeria’s borders coupled with shortage of manpower in the various security agencies, has made it easy for gunrunners to bring in the different calibre of weapons which they sell at giveaway prices, leaving the country at the receiving end.
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