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Nigerian Secret Police, DSS Confirms Recovery Of Weapons In Kano State Ahead Of Saturday’s Elections

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February 23, 2023

The DSS made this known in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, who though did not mention the political party whose campaign office the weapons were recovered, described as untrue, allegations by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) that the Service intimidated its members in the state.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, the NNPP spokesperson for the Kano State governorship candidate, in a statement on Wednesday alleged that the SSS operatives were caught on camera planting weapons in their members’ offices in order to frame them.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced that its operatives on Wednesday recovered weapons including a gun, daggers, swords and jack knives from a campaign office located along the Airport Road in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The DSS made this known in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, who though did not mention the political party whose campaign office the weapons were recovered, described as untrue, allegations by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) that the Service intimidated its members in the state.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, the NNPP spokesperson for the Kano State governorship candidate, in a statement on Wednesday alleged that the SSS operatives were caught on camera planting weapons in their members’ offices in order to frame them.

Dawakin-Tofa said that the operatives of the DSS laid siege at the Kano office of the NNPP, alleging that the siege by the operatives of the Service is a product of conspiracies between the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje administration and the Kano State DSS command.

But Afunanya claimed that the operation by the DSS was intelligence-driven and therefore questioned how the weapons were found on the campaign office.

Afunanya said, “To achieve the desired environment for the elections, the Service engaged in proactive and intelligence-led operations across the States. For instance, on February 22, 2023, the Service conducted a legally backed search operation on a property along Airport Road, Nasarawa LGA, Kano State.
“During the operation, it recovered dangerous weapons including a gun, daggers, swords, and ack-knives from the said building.

“Therefore, the accusation that the Service intimidated a particular political party in that State is untrue; otherwise, how come to those weapons were found there? Are those objects of violence campaign materials? Whether in Kano or elsewhere, the DSS has provided equal opportunities for all political parties to engage in their lawful activities. We can say this without any form of contradictions or equivocations.”
The DSS spokesperson further said that the Service arrested a gunrunner, Aliyu Yahaya, an associate of Kachalla Damina, a suspected bandit who operates around Dansadau, Zamfara State.

He noted that items recovered from Yahaya include one GPMG Rifle; one chain of ammunition, 190 rounds of GMPG ammunition, 28 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and one grenade. He added that the suspect was going to deliver the arms and the ammunition to Damina when he was arrested.

Afunanya also said that two arm couriers identified as Tukur Usman and Illiyasu Adamu, were arrested at Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna on February 20, 2023, adding that upon their arrest, 372 rounds of 7.62 X 39mm ammunition, 26 rounds of live ammunition for GPMG rifles were recovered from them.
The suspects, according to Afunanya, were suspected arm suppliers to bandits in Zamfara State.

 

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