WorldStage— Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted and arrested a woman named Aisha Isah with 266 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition along the notorious Abuja–Kaduna Expressway.
The breakthrough occurred during a routine highway patrol aimed at curbing the illicit transit of contraband and weapons.
The arrest was confirmed in an official public statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
According to the agency, Isah was apprehended on Thursday at a designated toll gate security checkpoint along the vital interstate highway.
Security analysts note that the Abuja–Kaduna highway has historically been a volatile corridor plagued by banditry, kidnapping, and violent robberies.
Intercepting a high volume of military-grade ammunition prevents these lethal supplies from reaching criminal networks operating within neighboring forest enclaves.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, Aisha Isah, is an indigene of the Birnin-Gwari local government area in Kaduna State.
Birnin-Gwari is a region heavily impacted by persistent banditry and armed conflict, raising urgent questions regarding the intended destination and recipients of the seized bullets.
While the NDLEA’s primary mandate centers on combating illicit narcotics, the agency’s leadership emphasized that its operatives remain highly vigilant against all forms of cross-border criminality, including arms proliferation.
Drug trafficking and illegal weapons smuggling frequently overlap, as criminal syndicates rely on heavy arms to secure illicit supply lines and terrorize local communities.
Following her interception at the highway toll gate, Isah was taken into custody for intensive interrogation.
The NDLEA intends to hand over the suspect and the recovered ammunition to the appropriate military or police authorities for a deeper investigation.
Investigators will focus on unmasking the broader smuggling network, identifying her suppliers, and tracking down the intended end-users.
This high-profile arrest highlights the critical role of inter-agency cooperation and routine highway surveillance in tackling Nigeria’s multi-faceted security challenges.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining an aggressive security posture along major transportation arteries to dismantle logistics pipelines feeding terrorism and armed banditry across the country.
