KADUNA — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 35-year-old man identified as Abdullahi Hassan after intercepting 1,989 rounds of military-grade ammunition concealed inside bags of white garri along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
The shocking discovery was made during a routine patrol operation carried out by NDLEA officers in Kaduna State on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. According to the agency, the suspect was caught transporting the ammunition carefully hidden inside fresh cassava granules, popularly known as garri, in what authorities described as a dangerous attempt to evade security checks.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the development in a statement released on Sunday, revealing that the recovered ammunition consisted of 7.62mm rounds commonly associated with military-grade firearms. The agency said the concealment method raised serious security concerns due to the increasing use of food items and household materials to smuggle illegal substances and dangerous items across the country.
Following the arrest, both the suspect and the seized ammunition were handed over to another security agency for further investigation and possible prosecution. Authorities are expected to investigate the source of the ammunition, its intended destination, and whether the suspect is connected to criminal or terrorist networks operating within the region.
The interception comes amid growing security concerns in northern Nigeria, where armed banditry, terrorism, and illegal arms trafficking continue to threaten communities.
The NDLEA said the operation forms part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown on criminal activities, drug trafficking, and other threats to national security. The agency also warned traffickers and criminal syndicates that security operatives are intensifying surveillance on major highways and transport routes across the country.
