By Our Reporter

In a dramatic turn of events that underscores the growing complexity of Nigeria’s internal security threats, police operatives in Nasarawa State have apprehended a 21-year-old woman allegedly attempting to transport nearly 500 rounds of live ammunition across the state. The arrest has opened a disturbing window into the increasingly daring methods used by arms traffickers—and the growing involvement of young individuals, including women, in this illicit trade.

The suspect, Fatima Salisu, a native of Funtua in Katsina State, was intercepted in the Azuba area of Lafia during what police sources describe as a “high-risk and intelligence-led” operation. Acting on a tip-off, the Nasarawa State Police Command launched the mission that spanned Keana and Doma Local Government Areas.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, the operation was coordinated under the directive of Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima J. Mohammed, who deployed the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit. Their swift intervention led to the recovery of 400 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition—commonly used in AK-47 rifles—and 81 rounds of 7.62mm NATO rounds, further fueling fears that these arms were destined for organized criminal groups or terrorist factions in the North-West.

“The arrest of Fatima Salisu is a major breakthrough,” SP Nansel said. “Not just because of the volume of ammunition recovered, but also due to the emerging trend of using unsuspected carriers, including women and young people, to avoid detection.”

Investigators believe the ammunition was en route to Katsina State, a region already grappling with banditry, kidnappings, and terror attacks. Salisu’s role in the network is still under investigation, but early findings suggest she may have been part of a larger trafficking syndicate that exploits rural routes and public transportation systems to ferry arms.

Security experts have long warned that illegal arms trafficking is one of the key drivers of insecurity across northern Nigeria, where porous borders and insufficient surveillance have allowed a flood of small arms into the hands of non-state actors. The arrest in Nasarawa serves as both a success story and a stark reminder of the challenges that lie ahead.

For the local residents of Lafia and surrounding LGAs, the bust is a welcome development. Community leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed relief at the police action but called for sustained efforts and collaboration with vigilante groups and informants.

The Nasarawa State Police Command has reiterated its call for citizens to support ongoing security operations by providing timely and credible information. “The safety of our communities depends not just on law enforcement, but on collective vigilance,” SP Nansel emphasized.

As the suspect remains in custody, undergoing interrogation, many questions remain unanswered: Who are the masterminds behind this operation? How deep does the network run? And how many others like Salisu are being groomed to carry deadly cargo in plain sight?

What is clear, however, is that the Nasarawa Police have struck a significant blow to the shadowy trade fueling violence in Nigeria’s troubled regions—and perhaps, just in time.

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