DSS Arrests Key Arms Supplier Fuelling Violence in Plateau State

The Department of State Services (DSS) has successfully dismantled a major arms supply network in Plateau State with the arrest of Musa Abubakar, a suspected chief arms dealer linked to violent armed groups across Plateau and other northern states. Acting on precise intelligence, DSS operatives raided Abubakar’s clandestine arms manufacturing workshop on November 12, 2025, in the Mista Ali area of Bassa Local Government Area, seizing high-caliber weapons, ammunition, and components for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

A source within the DSS revealed that Abubakar openly confessed to manufacturing and distributing a variety of sophisticated arms and explosives that have been instrumental in fueling deadly attacks in the region. The arrest marks a critical breakthrough as the agency intensifies efforts to dismantle the networks behind insecurity and terror in northern Nigeria.

This development comes shortly after the high-profile recapture of Abdulazeez Obadaki, known as Bomboy, an escapee from Kuje Prison and alleged mastermind behind the devastating attacks on Owo and Deeperlife Churches. Together, these operations underscore the DSS’s renewed commitment to combating terrorism and ensuring national security.

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Earlier, the DSS secured the arrests of nine high-profile suspects linked to violent incidents in Plateau and Benue states. Among them is Timna Manjol, aged 46, of First Baptist Church, Mangu Local Government Area, who pleaded guilty to illegal possession of firearms and other charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The DSS continues to coordinate with military and security agencies across the North-West and central Nigeria through strategic meetings and intelligence sharing to further strengthen counter-terrorism operations and restore peace to volatile areas.