The Zamfara State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a woman found in possession of live ammunition allegedly intended for bandits operating in the state.

The agency said the woman’s identity is being withheld for security reasons.

The Guardian learnt that the suspect was arrested on Wednesday during a stop-and-search operation along the Tsafe–Gusau highway in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.

Security sources disclosed that the woman, who is from Birnin Magaji Local Government Area, had concealed the ammunition inside her luggage while travelling through the area.

Chairman of Tsafe Local Government Area, Malam Garba Shehu, confirmed the incident and commended the NDLEA operatives, describing the arrest as a major breakthrough in efforts to curb the movement of arms and other supplies to criminal groups across the state.

According to him, the interception would prevent dangerous weapons from reaching bandits who continue to threaten peace in the axis. He reiterated the council’s commitment to supporting security agencies in their operations and warned that anyone aiding banditry would face serious consequences.

“As a local government, we will provide all necessary support to ensure that law enforcement operatives discharge their constitutional responsibilities effectively,” he said.

The NDLEA has transferred the suspect for further investigation as security agencies intensify efforts to trace both the source and intended recipients of the ammunition.

Tsafe and neighbouring communities have recently come under heightened security surveillance, with joint operations targeting the disruption of bandit supply routes linking Birnin Magaji, Tsafe, and the Dansadau forest axis.

NDLEA operatives of a special operations unit at the weekend arrested a 40-year-old wanted drug lord, Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while on his way to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, a holy pilgrimage.

He was apprehended after months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on his criminal drug network.

The drug kingpin had previously been arrested and charged with drug offences in the United Kingdom but jumped bail and escaped to Nigeria.

Upon settling in Lagos, he established a large clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area for the production of Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis, and other illicit substances.

According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Yussuf was arrested at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, while attempting to board his flight to Saudi Arabia.

He was immediately taken to his residence at 17 Vincent Eku Street, Ogombo, Lekki, where the illegal laboratory had been under surveillance.