Troops of the 17 Brigade under Operation FANSAN YANMA have arrested a suspected gunrunner allegedly linked to notorious terrorist leaders operating across Nigeria’s troubled North-West region.
Security sources disclosed that the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Saidu Rabiu from Wagini village in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, was apprehended during a carefully coordinated intelligence-led operation on May 15, 2026.
According to the sources, troops acted swiftly on credible intelligence reports indicating that the suspect was receiving medical treatment at the General Hospital in Batsari.
The operatives reportedly stormed the hospital at about 10:20 a.m. and arrested the suspect without resistance before moving him to a secure facility for interrogation.
Military sources revealed that preliminary investigations have allegedly connected Rabiu to an arms supply network believed to be providing weapons and ammunition to some of the most feared terrorist kingpins terrorising communities in the North-West.
Among those reportedly linked to the suspect are notorious bandit leaders Bello Turji and Ado Aliero, as well as other criminal commanders identified as the late Kachalla Black and Yellow.
Security insiders said investigators suspect the accused gunrunner played a key role in the movement of military-grade weapons and ammunition used by terrorist groups to carry out deadly attacks, kidnappings, and raids on rural communities across the region.
The arrest is being seen as a major breakthrough in ongoing military operations aimed at dismantling arms trafficking networks sustaining terrorism and banditry in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and parts of Kaduna State.
Operation FANSAN YANMA has in recent months intensified intelligence-driven offensives against terrorist enclaves, logistics suppliers, informants, and collaborators believed to be aiding criminal gangs in the North-West.
Sources further disclosed that the suspect remains in military custody and is undergoing extensive interrogation as security agencies work to uncover wider networks of arms dealers and terror collaborators operating within and outside the region.
Residents in parts of Katsina State have continued to commend the military for sustaining pressure on criminal elements, expressing hope that the latest arrest would weaken the operational capacity of armed groups responsible for persistent insecurity in the area.
Security analysts believe targeting logistics suppliers and gunrunning syndicates remains critical to winning the fight against terrorism and banditry, as many criminal gangs depend heavily on illegal arms supply channels to sustain their operations.
The military has yet to issue an official statement on the development, but security sources insist investigations are ongoing and more arrests may follow as troops expand efforts to dismantle the terror supply chain in the North-West.
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