Zamfara Police nab suspected bandit explosives supplier

Abdullateef Fowewe

Operatives from the Zamfara State Police Command’s Task Force on Illegal Mining have arrested a 38-year-old suspect on Tuesday with nearly a thousand pieces of suspected explosive materials believed destined for bandits to craft improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The dramatic bust occurred around 4:15 PM on January 27, when police, acting on “credible and actionable intelligence,” intercepted Mustapha Mohammad driving a Toyota Corolla along a route in Zamfara State.

A vehicle search uncovered 954 pieces of the suspected explosives hidden in polyethylene bags.

In a statement released Saturday, DSP Yazid Abubakar, Police Public Relations Officer for the Zamfara Command, detailed the operation noting, “On 27th January, 2027, at about 1615 hours, operatives carried out a successful operation which led to the arrest of a suspect in connection with unlawful possession of suspected explosive materials.”

Preliminary probes suggest the materials were earmarked for bandit IEDs, a persistent threat in Nigeria’s volatile Northwest region plagued by armed groups targeting miners and civilians.

“The suspect is currently in police custody, while the exhibits have been secured and formally handed over to the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team for safe custody and detailed analysis,” Abubakar added.

Police vowed to dig deeper, “Investigation is ongoing to determine the source, destination, and intended use of the recovered materials, as well as to identify and apprehend other possible accomplices connected to the crime. Further developments will be communicated as investigation progresses.”