Community Leaders Commend DSS Over Arrest of Arms Supply Kingpin, Terrorist Network

Community leaders in Katsina and Nasarawa states have commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for arresting an alleged arms supply kingpin, Abubakar Mubarak, and disrupting a network supplying weapons to terrorists across parts of northern Nigeria.

The leaders, who spoke separately with newsmen, said Mubarak was arrested by DSS operatives on Tuesday at Magabar Jibia in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

According to them, the 28-year-old suspect, a native of Mashema village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, was linked to an arms trafficking chain stretching across several northern states.

A community leader in Jibia LGA said residents were relieved by the arrest, alleging that members of Mubarak’s network had terrorised communities in the area for years.

“We are very relieved and thankful to the DSS for arresting Mubarak. Many villagers are aware of the terror his men have been unleashing on us over the years,” the leader said through an interpreter.

The development followed the arrest of an alleged arms courier, Ismail Lawalli, by DSS operatives on Sunday evening along the Keffi-Abuja Highway in Nasarawa State.

A community leader near Keffi, who is a retired security agent, said Lawalli was found with 1,099 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 57 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and 106 rounds of General Purpose Machine Gun ammunition.

He said the suspect allegedly confessed to transporting the ammunition to Mubarak, who had paid for the consignment, leading DSS operatives to the alleged kingpin in Katsina State.

The retired security agent also disclosed that Mubarak’s elder brother, Mustapha Abubakar, was arrested earlier this year in Gusau, Zamfara State, in connection with arms trafficking.

“Mustapha Abubakar was arrested by DSS operatives earlier this year at Gusau, with one AK-47 rifle and 20 rounds of ammunition,” he said.