Soldiers have arrested a suspected gunrunner, Ahmadu Hashimu, and recovered rifles and ammunition at a checkpoint near Saminaka, headquarters of Lere LGA of Kaduna State.

A security source who was part of the operation but preferred anonymity, said the suspect was arrested on Saturday while on transit to deliver high calibre weapons to bandits in a forest.

He said the suspect had been on the wanted list of security agencies for supplying arms and ammunition to bandits terrorising some rural communities in Lere, Kagarko and Kachia LGAs.

He said some of the items found in his possession were a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher, one RPG bomb, 1,069 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition and one belt of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, as well as the vehicle used in conveying them.

A community leader in the area, who preferred anonymity, said, "I heard that a man carrying arms and bullets inside a vehicle to deliver to bandits was arrested by soldiers."

The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Hassan Mansur, was yet to comment on the arrest.