Police Arrest Suspected Kidnapper Attempting To Buy AK- 47 Rifle In Kwara

Operatives of the Kwara State Police Command have foiled an attempt to procure an AK-47 with the arrest of a member of a kidnapping syndicate, Sanda Aliyu, in Kaiama local government area.

Sanda allegedly entered into a deal with one Aliyu Mohammed to buy the gun for N1.6 million.

It was learnt that the intelligence available to the police led to the arrest of Sanda before the delivery of the illicit firearm.

The suspect told interrogators that the arm’s procurement was to enable him break away from his current gang and emerge the leader of his own criminal gang. The spokesperson of the state police command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed Sanda’s arrest in a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday.

The statement was titled “Police intercept suspected AK-47 procurement deal in Kwara, arrest buyer.”

It quoted the state commissioner of police, Ojo Adekimi, to have vowed that the command would continue to deploy every lawful intelligence and operational resource at its disposal until every community is sufficiently secured and residents can sleep with both eyes closed.

Assuring the people that there would be no respite in the ongoing offensive against criminal elements, the command acknowledged the strategic policing direction of the inspector-general of police (IGP)Olatunji Disu.

” A planned acquisition of an AK-47 rifle has been disrupted in Kaiama Local Government Area, following actionable intelligence that exposed an alleged illicit arms transaction before its completion. ‎ ‎”On 3rd August, 2026, intelligence received by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section indicated that Sanda Aliyu was allegedly negotiating with one Aliyu Mohammed, currently at large, for the procurement of an AK-47 rifle. Detectives immediately initiated a targeted operation around the intelligence, resulting in the arrest of Sanda Aliyu before the weapon could be delivered. ‎ ‎”During interrogation, the suspect voluntarily admitted his involvement in the transaction and disclosed that ₦1.6 million had already been paid toward the purchase of the rifle. He further revealed that the purpose of acquiring the firearm was to enable him rise to the position of a “Boss” within his current kidnapping gang, before ultimately breaking away to establish and lead his own criminal gang.

“Investigative verification of the transaction has provided further leads into the circumstances surrounding the attempted acquisition and identify other persons connected with the illicit arms transaction, establish the full extent of the network, and unravel the broader criminal activities associated with the gang,” the statement added.