Police Arrest Suspect Over Alleged N1.6m AK-47 Deal in Kwara
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a suspected member of a kidnapping gang over an alleged attempt to procure an AK-47 rifle for N1.6 million in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect, identified as Sanda Aliyu, was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section after intelligence uncovered his alleged negotiation with one Aliyu Mohammed, who is currently at large, for the purchase of the firearm.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the intelligence was received on August 3, prompting detectives to launch a targeted operation that led to Aliyu’s arrest before the weapon could be delivered.
The police said preliminary interrogation showed that the suspect admitted involvement in the transaction and disclosed that N1.6 million had already been paid towards the purchase of the rifle.
The suspect allegedly told investigators that he intended to use the firearm to rise to the position of a “Boss” within his current kidnapping gang before eventually breaking away to establish and lead his own criminal group.
The Command said further investigation had yielded vital leads that could help identify other individuals connected to the attempted arms deal and expose the wider criminal network and activities associated with the gang.
The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, CP Ojo Adekimi, said the arrest demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led policing in disrupting criminal activities before they could be executed.
Adekimi, while acknowledging the strategic policing direction of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, assured residents that the Command would sustain its offensive against criminal elements across the state.
“There will be no respite in the ongoing offensive against criminal elements,” the police commissioner said, assuring residents that the Command would continue deploying lawful intelligence and operational resources to secure communities across Kwara.
He added that the police would remain committed to ensuring that residents could “sleep with both eyes closed.”
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing Aliyu Mohammed and unravel the full extent of the alleged arms procurement and kidnapping network.
