The Niger State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in combating arms trafficking with the arrest of a suspected female ammunition courier. The suspect was intercepted while allegedly transporting a large cache of live ammunition intended for criminal networks operating across multiple states.
Intelligence-Led Operation Nets Suspect
According to the Police Public Relations Officer for the Niger State Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the arrest was the result of meticulous intelligence work. Police operatives from the Force Intelligence Department (FID) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) acted on credible information to apprehend the suspect on November 4, 2025.
The operation led to the capture of Zuwaira Usman, a 35-year-old woman from Pandogari in Rafi Local Government Area. At the time of her arrest around 5:00 PM, she was found in possession of a flask that was later discovered to contain the deadly cargo.
Confession Reveals Interstate Smuggling Network
During interrogation, Usman provided a detailed account of her alleged involvement in the illicit arms trade. She confessed to having been recruited by a man known only as Lawali, whom she met in Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State, in September 2025.
Her narrative outlined a carefully coordinated operation:
- Lawali provided her with N20,000 for transport and instructed her to travel to Warri in Delta State to collect a package.
- Upon arrival in Abuja, Lawali communicated directly with her driver to specify the drop-off point in Warri.
- In Warri, a man on a motorcycle, later identified as Ahmed, handed her a sack containing a flask.
- Ahmed gave her an additional N30,000 for her return journey to Kaduna State.
Usman completed the delivery, taking the item from Warri to Abuja and then onward to Kaduna. She finally handed the bag over to Lawali in Birnin-Gwari, where it was confirmed that the flask held 2,500 rounds of ammunition for AK-47 rifles.
Police Intensify Manhunt for Accomplices
The police have confirmed that follow-up investigations based on Usman's confession have yielded further results. Ahmed, the alleged supplier in Delta State, has been intercepted and arrested by security forces.
Authorities are now focusing their efforts on apprehending the prime suspect, Lawali, who remains at large. The Niger State Police Command has stated that investigations are being intensified to dismantle the entire network involved in this dangerous interstate arms smuggling operation.
This arrest highlights the ongoing challenges of illegal arms proliferation in the region and the innovative, yet alarming, methods employed by traffickers to move contraband across state lines.
