A 30-year-old woman named Hauwa Yusuf has been apprehended by the Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Nigerian Police for allegedly smuggling a deadly weapon in a highly unconventional manner.
During a routine stop-and-search operation on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, Yusuf was found hiding an AK-47 rifle and four magazines inside a sack of garri. The arrest occurred on August 14, 2024, following a tip-off that led the operatives to intercept her journey from Lafia in Nasarawa State to Katsina State.
According to the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Yusuf confessed during interrogation that she was instructed by a notorious bandit, Aminu Basullube, who has been terrorizing Katsina State. The suspect claimed that she was sent to retrieve the arms from Danum Madam Camp in Katsina State. However, Yusuf maintained that she was unaware of the contents of the sack, insisting that she had been told she was to collect millet.
“I didn’t know it was a gun inside. They told me to go and collect millet, but they didn’t bring garri for me. Even when I saw it, I was nervous. I was given ₦130,000 to deliver the garri to Katsina. My transport fare was ₦15,000. I made a mistake by not asking questions,” Yusuf explained.
In a separate operation, the police conducted an investigation into the activities of one Musa Saidu, a man who had been absent from his community in Kigakwu, Kaduna State, for five years. Upon his return, Saidu began spending lavishly, prompting suspicion. He purchased several new motorcycles and twelve cows in a single day, spending ₦5,000,000.
During interrogation, Saidu admitted to his involvement in criminal activities under the leadership of a certain Haruna in the Birnin Gwari forest of Kaduna State. He revealed that he used AK-47 rifles in his operations and was compensated with twenty-five cows, which he later sold for ₦4,700,000. Saidu explained that he became a cattle rustler after his own cattle were stolen.
“I went to Oyo because there were too many problems in Kaduna. My cattle were rustled, so I became a rustler too. I know it’s a crime, but I did it because of what happened to me. After making some money, I stopped and returned to my village to spend it,” Saidu confessed.
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