Woman Intercepted with Live Ammunition on Tsafe-Gusau Highway
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Zamfara State have made a significant arrest, apprehending a woman found to be in possession of live ammunition allegedly destined for bandits terrorizing the state.
The arrest occurred on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, during a routine stop-and-search operation along the busy Tsafe–Gusau highway in Tsafe Local Government Area. Security sources confirmed that the woman, a native of Birnin Magaji Local Government Area, had cleverly concealed the ammunition within her personal luggage while traveling.
Local Government Commends Security Breakthrough
Malam Garba Shehu, the Chairman of Tsafe Local Government Area, publicly confirmed the incident and praised the vigilance of the NDLEA personnel. He described the interception as a major breakthrough in the collective efforts to stem the flow of arms and other supplies to criminal elements across Zamfara.
"This interception has prevented dangerous weapons from reaching the bandits who continue to threaten the peace in this axis," Shehu stated. He reiterated the council's unwavering commitment to supporting security agencies and issued a stern warning that anyone caught aiding banditry activities would face severe consequences.
"As a local government, we will provide all necessary support to ensure that law enforcement operatives discharge their constitutional responsibilities effectively," he added.
Intensified Investigations and Wider Security Operations
Following her arrest, the suspect has been transferred to the appropriate authorities for further investigation. Security agencies are now intensifying efforts to trace the source of the ammunition and identify its intended recipients within the bandit network.
This arrest comes amidst heightened security surveillance in Tsafe and its neighbouring communities. Joint security operations are actively targeting and disrupting known bandit supply routes that connect Birnin Magaji, Tsafe, and the Dansadau forest axis.
In a related development highlighting the NDLEA's broad operational reach, a special operations unit of the agency, over the weekend, arrested a 40-year-old wanted drug lord, Yussuf Abayomi Azeez. He was apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Azeez's arrest was the culmination of months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on his criminal network. The drug kingpin, who had previously been arrested and charged with drug offences in the United Kingdom before jumping bail and escaping to Nigeria, had established a large clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area of Lagos for the production of Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis, and other illicit substances.
