Dauda Lawal commends DSS over arms seizure, says ‘banditry is declining in Zamfara’

Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara state, has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for intercepting arms being delivered to suspected terrorists in the state. 

While inspecting the seized weapons at the Government House in Gusau on Tuesday, Lawal praised the DSS for their role in curbing the spread of arms within the state.

The intercepted arms included a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), two machine guns, nine AK-47 rifles, two pistols, nineteen magazines, and over a thousand rounds of ammunition.

A statement by Sulaiman Idris, the governor’s spokesperson, said the suspected gunrunner, tracked by DSS operatives from the Niger Republic, was arrested on the Zurmi/Kauran Namoda highway in Zamfara state.

“I must praise the troops, the military, the DSS, and the police, especially the Department of State Services, for successfully executing such a significant arrest,” Idris quoted Lawal as saying.

“We will continue to support the troops in whatever way we can to encourage them to keep up their good work.”

He said the governor also noted that the arrests was part of a broader effort to reduce banditry in the state, with more local criminals being apprehended in recent weeks.

“It will be interesting to know that most of these criminals are indigenes of Zamfara. They’re not foreigners, and this arrested individual is not the only one,” he added.

“We have had more over the last few weeks, but this is the only one we present to the public. Such arrests have occurred daily.

“Banditry is declining in Zamfara. We have seen that. I urge the people of Zamfara to give all the necessary support to the troops.”