Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, has complimented the Department of State Services for its intelligence-sharing efforts that led to the capture of a significant cache of weaponry and ammunition trafficked from Niger Republic.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, Coordinator, Joint Media Center, Operation Fasan Yamma, the operation, which took place on January 27, 2025, was founded on actionable intelligence, as previously reported by PUNCH Online.
During a Tuesday night inspection of the confiscated weapons in Gusau, the state capital, the governor praised the Nigerian Armed Forces and the DSS for acting quickly to eliminate the threat.
He gave President Bola Tinubu credit for the operation’s success and thanked him for his backing of security agencies.
A statement titled “Gov Lawal Inspects Seized Arms Cache, Lauds DSS” was released on Tuesday and included these details.
“This operation demonstrates how effective our security agencies are. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the DSS for its proactive information sharing that resulted in this significant discovery.
“I also extend my appreciation to President Tinubu for his commitment to making Zamfara State and the entire country safer,” Lawal was quoted as saying.
He assured all that his administration would continue to collaborate with security agencies to combat terrorism and crime in the state.
The operation, executed jointly by the DSS and troops of Operation Fansan Yamma on Monday and Tuesday, targeted a notorious arms courier, Abubakar Umar, also known as Dangada.
Security sources revealed that Umar had been tracked from Niger Republic to Kaura Namoda-Zurmi Road, where he intended to deliver the weapons to bandit leaders operating in the Birnin Magaji Local Government Area.
DSS intelligence indicated that the arms were meant for high-profile bandit kingpins, including Kachallah Atta, Alhaji Shinge, Alhaji Nashama, and a certain Zaki.
The traffickers, realising they had been ambushed, abandoned a red Abuja-registered Volkswagen Golf station wagon (RBC 731 GU) and fled with serious bullet wounds.
Upon searching the vehicle, security operatives discovered a deadly cache, including:
• Seven AK-47 rifles
• Two PKT General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG)
• Two AK-103 rifles
• 169 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition
• Nine PKT rounds of ammunition with one chain
• 13 empty magazines
The governor expressed confidence in the DSS ability to uphold national security and called for continued vigilance against criminal elements.
“This is a strong message to all those fueling insecurity in our state: we will not relent until peace is fully restored.
“I assure our security agencies of my government’s full support in this fight,” he declared.
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