In a significant breakthrough against cross-border arms trafficking, the Department of State Services (DSS) has intercepted a large cache of weapons allegedly smuggled into Nigeria from the Niger Republic, recovering 21 AK-47 rifles and four PKT machine guns during an operation in Sokoto State.
The operation, conducted on Tuesday, November 10, at Dawakawa in Goronyo Local Government Area of the state, reportedly targeted suspected cross-border weapons trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-Niger Republic border.
Security sources said the suspected traffickers allegedly used camels to transport the weapons through remote routes and difficult terrain in an attempt to evade security surveillance.
Items recovered during the operation included 21 AK-47 rifles, four PKT machine guns and 825 magazines.
The weapons were suspected to have been destined for armed groups operating in Nigeria’s North-West, where banditry, kidnapping and attacks on communities have continued to pose serious security challenges.
The interception is considered a significant disruption of suspected arms supply networks believed to be sustaining the activities of armed groups in the region.
The recovered weapons are expected to provide investigators with leads to identify the suppliers, transporters and intended recipients of the consignment.
The development has also renewed concerns over the movement of illegal weapons through poorly monitored border routes linking Nigeria with neighbouring countries.
Security analysts have repeatedly called for stronger border surveillance, intelligence-sharing and coordinated security operations to tackle cross-border arms trafficking.
They have also stressed the need to identify and dismantle the financiers and supply networks behind illegal weapons trafficking, rather than focusing solely on the seizure of arms and arrest of couriers.
The latest interception highlights ongoing efforts by security agencies to disrupt the flow of weapons into the North-West and weaken the capacity of armed groups operating in the region.
