Nasarawa Police Arrest Gunrunner, Seize 174 AK-47 Rounds in Toto

Nasarawa Police Arrest Gunrunner, Seize 174 AK-47 Rounds in Toto

Lafia, Nasarawa State – In a major crackdown on illegal arms trafficking, operatives of the Nasarawa State Police Command have arrested a suspected gunrunner and recovered 174 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition during a routine patrol along the Toto–Abaji Road.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, confirmed the development in an official statement issued on Wednesday in Lafia. He described the operation as part of the command’s sustained offensive against illegal arms proliferation and rising insecurity in the state.

According to Nansel, police operatives attached to the Toto Division intercepted the suspect, identified as Abubakar Abdullahi, on June 22, 2026, while conducting a stop-and-search patrol along the strategic corridor. A thorough search of his belongings uncovered 174 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, the type widely used in AK-47 rifles—a weapon frequently linked to banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence across North-Central Nigeria.

“The suspect could not provide any credible explanation regarding the source, ownership, or intended destination of the ammunition,” Nansel stated. “He is currently in custody, and intensive investigations are ongoing to unravel the criminal network behind this illegal consignment and apprehend other accomplices.”

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Security analysts note that the Toto–Abaji axis has become a noted transit route for arms smuggling, often used to ferry weapons into Nasarawa and neighbouring states. This seizure is seen as a significant blow to the logistics chain of criminal elements operating in the region.

Reacting to the breakthrough, the Commissioner of Police for Nasarawa State, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, reaffirmed the command’s zero-tolerance stance on arms trafficking and all forms of violent crime. He stressed that the police have intensified intelligence-led surveillance, strategic road patrols, and community partnerships to deny criminals freedom of movement.

“There will be no safe haven for criminals in Nasarawa State,” CP Mohammed declared. “We are determined to identify, track, and bring every offender to justice. We will continue to deploy all lawful measures to safeguard residents and maintain public security.”

The commissioner also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information. He assured the public that all shared intelligence would be treated with utmost confidentiality.

This operation underscores the Nasarawa Police Command’s proactive approach to curbing the inflow of illegal weapons, which many experts regard as a primary driver of farmer-herder conflicts, kidnapping-for-ransom, and armed banditry in the state.

Nasarawa Police Arrest Gunrunner, Seize 174 AK-47 Rounds in Toto