Security agencies are on high alert after two separate incidents involving large quantities of live ammunition on major northern expressways within the space of days.On Tuesday, travellers along the Zaria–Funtua highway noticed a package fall from a fast-moving vehicle.
When recovered, it was found to contain dozens of rounds of live ammunition. The discovery immediately triggered a security sweep of the area.
Barely 72 hours later, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a vehicle on the Abuja–Kaduna expressway and arrested three male suspects in possession of 1,125 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in the vehicle.
Sources say the ammunition was professionally packed and hidden, suggesting organised trafficking rather than individual possession.
Security analysts warn that the incidents point to a disturbing trend of illegal arms movement along the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano corridor, a route already notorious for banditry and kidnapping.
The Nigerian Army and police have intensified stop-and-search operations, while the recovered ammunition has been handed over to military authorities for ballistic tracing and further investigation.
No group has claimed responsibility, and the arrested suspects are currently undergoing interrogation.
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