Niger–Mali–Burkina Faso–Benin Route Funnels Assault rifles, RPGs, to Fulani Ethnic Militia
By Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna)— A man accused of supplying weapons to Nigeria’s most violent extremist commanders has confessed on video to running a decade‑long arms pipeline from Mali into Nigeria, delivering RPGs, rocket launchers, and assault rifles to Dogo Gide and other militant leaders.
In a police interrogation video reviewed by TruthNigeria, the suspect — Abubakar Mohammed, known as Mallam Buzu — gives a detailed account of a decade‑long weapons‑smuggling pipeline stretching from Mali through Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin into Nigeria, supplying assault rifles, RPGs, rocket launchers, GPMGs, and thousands of rounds of ammunition to militant camps across Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina states.
The video shows Mallam Buzu, being questioned by a police officer identified as DSP Gimba Sule of the Force Investigation Bureau Tactical Squad, Minna Sector, Force Headquarters, Abuja. In the footage, Mohammed sits before belts of ammunition as he responds to questions in Hausa.
Before the interrogation begins, the officer reads cautionary words and asks whether Mohammed’s statement is voluntary.
“I am making my confession willingly without being forced,” the suspect replies.
A Decade in the Shadows: The Suspect’s Background
Mohammed introduces himself plainly: “My name is Abubakar Mohammed, known as Mallam Buzu in the bush. I am a Fulani and a Muslim. I don’t have any western education but I am learned in the Quran. I am married with two wives — Hauwa and Kande — and I have nine children.”
He says he lives in Tashan Hajiya, Lavun LGA of Niger State, which he describes as his “station.” From there, he claims, he regularly travels to Mali to purchase weapons for his clients.
The Route: Nigeria → Niger → Mali → Burkina Faso → Benin → Nigeria
Mohammed provides a detailed account of the cross‑border pipeline he says he has used for more than ten years:
- He begins his journey in Argungu (Kebbi State).
- From there he moves into Kwari (Niger Republic), then Maradi, where he exchanges money.
- He travels to Birnin Konni, staying two nights, then proceeds to Dogondoutchi to collect payments from “boys” selling small arms to local criminals.
- Next, he goes to Niamey, where he meets other arms buyers and discusses “the security of our business and the checkpoints.”
- From Niamey, he picks an assistant and moves to Kaoutougou, waiting for a confirmation call from Mali.
Once cleared, he crosses the desert into Gargouna, a town he describes as “very dangerous” and “full of Tuareg Arabs who are either arms sellers or mercenaries.” “The man that sells the arms to me is called Walele. He has only one arm,” Mohammed says.
After purchasing weapons, he claims he loads them into a “special vehicle” and moves immediately toward Burkina Faso, stopping in Dori, where he says he owns a house. From there, he travels to Fada N’Gourma and negotiates passage into the Benin Republic.
The final leg of the journey brings him to Banikoara, where he says “important security people both from Benin and Nigeria” must be consulted before crossing into Nigeria at Tsamiya in Kebbi State.
“Once you cross Tsamiya, you have no problem again in Nigeria,” he says — except this time. “But this time, I was arrested at Tsamiya last week this October. We had just entered Nigeria. I believe I was betrayed.”
The Buyers: Dogo Gide and Other Commanders
When asked who purchases the weapons, Mohammed names several violent extremist actors:
“My main customer is Dogo Gide. He is in a place in Niger State. But I also sell to Yellow, Umar, and Kawaki in their various camps in Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina.”
He lists the weapons he claims to buy and resell:
- AK‑47 rifles: ₦500,000 purchase → ₦4 million sale
- RPGs: ₦3 million purchase → ₦4 million sale
- Rocket launchers: ₦2–3 million purchase
- GPMGs and assorted ammunition
He says militants use the weapons “to attack people and communities and to kidnap, rob and steal,” adding that “they prefer the GPMG these days.”
Mohammed also admits to training some militants: “I train some of them in some cases,” he says, demonstrating how to handle a belt‑fed weapon.
He claims he has been in the business “over ten years,” introduced by “one Abdullahi” in Niger Republic.
The video ends after the officer informs him that his confession will be used in court.
A Confirmed Pattern: Sahel Weapons Flow Into Nigeria
The suspect’s account aligns with findings from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, which reported in July 2025 that Nigerian bandit networks increasingly source heavy weapons from northern Mali’s conflict economy, smuggling them through Niger and Benin into Nigeria.
“Bandits have been able to increasingly access heavy weaponry, which has proliferated in the Sahel,” the report notes, citing arms dealers who act as middlemen across the subregion.
The arrest of Mallam Buzu appears to confirm that pipeline.
Luka Binniyat reports on Conflict, Politics, and the Economy for TruthNigeria from Kaduna.
