Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested several suspects allegedly involved in supplying arms and illicit drugs to bandits operating in different parts of the country.
The arrests were announced on Tuesday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, during a press briefing on recent security operations.
Hundeyin disclosed that two suspected arms suppliers, John Magah, 45, and Ishaya Stephen, 43, were apprehended in the course of an ongoing investigation by the IRT.
He said Magah was identified as a local gun fabricator who facilitates the sale of arms and ammunition to criminal gangs.
According to Hundeyin, “Operatives of the IRT, in an ongoing investigation, arrested one John Magah, aged 45, and one Ishaya Stephen, aged 43, and recovered from them one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, one pump-action gun and four live cartridges.
“Investigation revealed that they supply arms to bandits and to one Daudume Bayina, who has also been arrested by operatives of the IRT. John Magah, investigation revealed, is a gun fabricator who facilitates the sale of these arms and ammunition.
“Both suspects have been in the business of selling arms for over five years and operate within Adamawa State and along the Cameroonian border. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the crime syndicate.”
In a separate operation, the police also arrested a suspected supplier of illicit drugs to bandits, Ifeanyi Egbeke, 40, in Kaduna State on November 2, 2025.
Hundeyin said the suspect was intercepted by operatives of the IRT in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), following credible intelligence.
According to him, “On November 2, 2025, at about 4:00 pm, operatives of the IRT, in collaboration with the DSS, acting on intelligence, intercepted a vehicle in Kaduna State and arrested one Ifeanyi Egbeke, aged 40.
“Recovered from him were 39 rolls and four packets of tramadol, 326 bottles of codeine, 52 rolls and eight sachets of BP injection syrups, 38 rolls and four sachets of Hypnos tablets, and one roll of Indian hemp.
“Further investigation revealed that the suspect supplies these illicit drugs to bandits within Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.”
The police further announced the arrest of an alleged gunrunner, Salisu Mohammed, popularly known as Mande Dawa, in Birnin Tasaba village, Zumi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Recovered from the suspect were one AK-47 rifle, two magazines and 32 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, which were concealed in a 50kg bag of millet. He reportedly confessed to delivering weapons to bandits operating along the Obajana axis of Kogi State.
In another case, operatives arrested one Uchenna Ikpe while he was driving a trailer from Lagos to Abuja, where 24 bags of Indian hemp were allegedly concealed.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he was to deliver the drugs in Abuja for a fee of N150,000.
The police also disclosed the arrest of Yunana Iliya, also known as Bado, 34, in Kaduna State over alleged arms dealing and kidnapping.
Five AK-47 rifles and 150 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspect, who reportedly confessed to supplying arms to bandits and participating in the abduction of four children.
Hundeyin said investigations were ongoing in all the cases, adding that efforts had been intensified to track down other suspects linked to the criminal networks.