Troops of 1 Division deployed in Operation Whirl Punch have arrested 50-year-old Ahmadu Mohammed, a suspected gun runner and recovered 10 locally-made rifles from him.

A military source told newsmen yesterday in Kaduna that the suspected arms dealer was arrested about 12:30pm on Friday.

The source said the man was arrested on his way to Pandogari in Niger State, to deliver the weapons to Yunusa Madaki, a suspected bandit on the wanted list of security agencies.

The source also said Mohammed had been supplying weapons to bandits and kidnappers terrorising people in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“Acting on information, soldiers trailed and intercepted the vehicle conveying the suspect.

“Following a search in and around the vehicle, 10 locally-made rifles capable of firing 7.62 Millimetre North Atlantic Organisation (NATO) ammunition were recovered.

“The arms were concealed in a sack containing beans chaff.

“During interrogation, the suspect claimed that the weapons were given to him by Ali Makeri, a manufacturer of the weapons, to deliver them to Yunusa Madaki, who lives at Shamuyabo village in Pandogari town.

“Madaki is a notorious bandit, who has been on the wanted lists of security agencies,” the source added.

The source said that the suspect would be handed over to the police after preliminary investigation and appealed to the public to provide information that would assist security agencies to apprehend such undesirable elements.