Army Kill Three As Gunrunners Intercepted

The Nigeria Army have said their men in Sabon Birni, a border town between Sokoto State and Niger Republic, have intercepted and killed three gunrunners moving weapons on foot into Nigeria.

Army spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima, stated this on Wednesday in a statement.

The incident comes at a time when proliferation of small arms has been named as the major reason for insecurity across Nigeria with scores killed and kidnapped on a weekly basis.

Politicians have often been accused of being behind the proliferation of illegal firearms around the nation.

A former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, said recently that there are over six million weapons in circulation around the country.

Mr Yerima, a brigadier general, however, in the statement, said the three suspects were killed in a successful ambush laid by the army troops.

Some of the items recovered include RPG bombs and RPG chargers, machine gun, AK47 assault rifle and other accessories as well as different calibre of assorted ammunition.