Security forces arrest female gunrunner moving ammunition through Kano to bandits

The arrest of a suspected female gunrunner by security operatives in Kano has again raised concerns about the city’s growing role as a strategic transit point for illegal arms and ammunition being transported to conflict zones across northern Nigeria.

Troops of the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, working in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), intercepted the suspect in the early hours of March 14 while she was allegedly transporting a large cache of ammunition believed to be destined for bandit groups operating in Zamfara State.

Security sources disclosed that the woman was arrested at about 3:00 a.m. following credible intelligence on the movement of illicit arms through Kano, a commercial hub that connects several northern states battling banditry and insurgency.

During the operation, security personnel recovered 884 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a type commonly used in automatic rifles by armed groups across the North-West.

According to investigators, the suspect was moving the ammunition from Plateau State to Zamfara State when she was intercepted. At the time of her arrest, she was reportedly travelling with her 10-year-old daughter.

Preliminary findings suggest that the woman had been recruited by criminal elements involved in the illegal arms trade to serve as a courier in the trafficking network.

Security officials revealed that she allegedly confessed to receiving an advance payment of N50,000 for the delivery, with a larger balance promised after successfully handing over the ammunition to contacts in Zamfara.

More troubling for investigators, however, was the suspect’s alleged admission that she had undertaken similar missions twice before, indicating the existence of an organised network that relies on civilian couriers—often women—to evade security scrutiny while transporting weapons across state boundaries.

A security source involved in the operation said the arrest highlights how traffickers exploit Kano’s strategic location and commercial traffic to move arms to areas plagued by armed violence.

“The suspect was intercepted following actionable intelligence regarding the movement of ammunition through Kano. A total of 884 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered during the operation,” the source said.

Maigari Garba,  a Kano based security analyst say Kano’s extensive road networks linking the North-West, North-East and North-Central regions make it an attractive logistics corridor for criminal groups seeking to supply bandits operating in states such as Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto.

Over the years, several arms trafficking cases uncovered by security agencies have pointed to Kano as a major staging point where weapons are either stored temporarily or moved through before reaching forest enclaves controlled by bandit groups.

The latest arrest has renewed calls for tighter surveillance of transport routes, logistics operators and inter-state cargo movement passing through the state.

Authorities confirmed that the suspect and the recovered ammunition have been handed over to the DSS for further interrogation and investigation.

Security agencies say ongoing investigations are aimed at dismantling the wider criminal network behind the trafficking operation and identifying other collaborators involved in the illicit arms supply chain.

Officials also warned that the use of civilian couriers—including women and children—by criminal syndicates poses a growing security challenge, as traffickers increasingly adopt new methods to bypass checkpoints and evade law enforcement scrutiny.