Police Nab Kidnap Suspect in N1.6Million Arms Deal 

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a suspected member of a kidnapping gang, Sanda Aliyu, over an alleged attempt to purchase an AK-47 rifle for N1.6 million in Kaiama Local Government Area.

Aliyu was arrested on August 3, 2026, by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section following intelligence that he was negotiating with another suspect, Aliyu Mohammed, who is currently at large, to procure the firearm.

The police said detectives acted on the intelligence and arrested Aliyu before the weapon could be delivered.

In a statement on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the suspect admitted during interrogation that he was involved in the attempted arms purchase.

She said Aliyu disclosed that N1.6 million had already been paid for the rifle and that he intended to use the weapon to rise through the ranks of his kidnapping gang.

According to the PPRO, the suspect wanted to become a “Boss” within the gang before eventually leaving to establish and lead his own criminal group.

Ejire-Adeyemi said investigators had begun further inquiries to identify others linked to the transaction, establish the structure of the alleged criminal network and uncover other activities involving the gang.

“The ongoing investigation is expected to provide further leads into the circumstances surrounding the attempted acquisition, 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,” Ejire-Adeyemi noted.

The arrest comes as security agencies intensify operations across parts of Kwara following a series of kidnappings and other violent crimes in some communities.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, assured residents that the command would continue its intelligence-led operations against criminal elements.

Adekimi, while citing the policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the command would deploy all lawful intelligence and operational resources available to protect residents.

He vowed that the police offensive against criminal elements would continue until communities across the state were sufficiently secured and residents could carry out their activities without fear.

Aliyu remains in police custody as investigations continue, while efforts are ongoing to arrest Mohammed and identify other persons allegedly linked to the attempted arms transaction.