DSS operations intercept rifle, nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition; suspected courier admits possessing 302 live rounds
A Chief Magistrate Court Grade 1 sitting in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, has convicted three persons arrested by the Department of State Services for arms trafficking, sentencing them to 10 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
The convicts—Sakina Garba, Ali Gono and Ibrahim Abdulrashid—were arrested between January and February 2026 following an intelligence-led operation that exposed their alleged involvement in transporting arms and ammunition to criminal elements.
Security sources disclosed that the suspects were intercepted along the Wukari–Jalingo road while allegedly attempting to move the weapons from Bantaje village in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State to a bandit kingpin who is still at large.
According to the sources, the weapons and ammunition were concealed in sacks of food items.
“The suspects were caught with two sacks of food items in which they hid one AK-47 rifle, 984 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition and 105 rounds of 7.82mm ammunition,” the source said.
“Also found in the sacks were 14 AK-47 rifle magazines, three POS machines and N200,200 in cash.”
Meanwhile, in a related development at the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja, a female suspect, Halima Haliru Umar, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of 302 rounds of live ammunition.
The presiding judge, Haywa Joseph Yilwatda, adjourned the case until May 8 for sentencing after the defendant admitted to the charge.
During proceedings, a DSS witness told the court that Umar was arrested in Plateau State while in possession of the ammunition, which she allegedly intended to deliver to a man identified as Sani.
The witness tendered the recovered ammunition, investigation report, the defendant’s statements and money allegedly recovered from her as exhibits before the court.
Security sources said the arrests highlight ongoing efforts by the DSS to dismantle arms supply networks linked to banditry and terrorism across Nigeria.
