Zamfara: NSCDC Officer Arrested for Supplying Anti-Aircraft Rockets, Others to Bandits

A Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) officer has been arrested for supplying anti-aircraft rockets, AK-47 ammunition, and narcotics to bandits in Zamfara State. The suspect, identified as ASC Maikano Sarkin-Tasha, confessed to the crime during a police parade on Thursday.

Sarkin-Tasha revealed that he had been involved in the illicit arms trade for two years, having been introduced to the operation by a fellow NSCDC officer, Aminu Musa. “I was arrested on my way to deliver ammunition and a variety of drugs to the bandits,” Sarkin-Tasha stated, adding that his participation in the arms supply began through the influence of a fellow officer.

The arrest was part of a broader crackdown by law enforcement in Zamfara. During the parade in Gusau, the state capital, Commissioner of Police Shehu Muhammad Dalijan also presented other suspects, including a quack doctor, Mamuda Sani Makakari, who was accused of treating terrorists. Makakari was found in possession of 441 live rounds of ammunition.

In addition, the police paraded two women, both wives of notorious bandit leaders. The wife of Kachalla Jiji and the wife of Bello Kaura were arrested with two children each, further highlighting the growing involvement of families in the operations of terrorist networks in the region.

The arrests mark a significant development in efforts to curb the flow of arms, drugs, and other supplies to terrorist groups that have been terrorizing Zamfara and surrounding states.