The Zamfara State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its war against banditry with the arrest of a notorious kingpin, Muhammadu Dan Kani, popularly known as “Akki.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba, disclosed the development while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Gusau on Tuesday, September 29, 2025.
According to him, the suspect, who hails from Funtua in Katsina State, was apprehended on September 17. Items recovered from him included 11 fabricated firearms, 25 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, and six live cartridges.
The police chief also revealed that 33 firearms and 257 rounds of ammunition were recovered in separate operations across the state within the same period.
On September 15, operatives intercepted a Toyota Corolla along the Gummi–Sokoto road, concealing weapons in a sack of oranges. The haul included four AK-47 rifles, 200 rounds of PKT ammunition, 28 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, and four empty magazines. The suspect, identified as Nasuru Dawan Jiya, confessed that he was transporting the arms to bandits in Gurusu Village.
Further successes were recorded on September 19 when two suspects on motorcycles were nabbed along the Gusau–Sokoto Highway near Gada Biyu with 18 fabricated firearms.
The command also intensified its fight against illicit drugs. On September 14, operatives arrested a suspected dealer, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu, in Gurusu Village with nine sacks of dried leaves believed to be Indian hemp.
In another operation, five kidnapped victims were rescued on September 21 in Talata Mafara after a joint offensive involving police operatives, Community Protection Guards, and vigilantes. The victims were freed following a gun battle with their abductors.
CP Maikaba commended his officers for their professionalism and pledged that the command would sustain the offensive until all criminal networks in Zamfara are dismantled.
He urged residents to continue partnering with security agencies by providing credible intelligence, stressing that community support remains crucial in the fight against insecurity.