Kwara Police Arrest Suspected Kidnapper Over N1.6m AK47 Deal

Posted by Chinenye on Thu 13th Aug, 2026 - tori.ng

Kwara police have arrested a suspected kidnap gang member accused of trying to secure an AK-47 rifle for N1.6 million.

(Kwara Government. Photo by Naija News)

The Kwara State Police Command arrested a suspected member of a k!dn@pping gang, Sanda Aliyu, over an alleged plan to purchase an AK-47 rifle for N1.6m in Kaiama Local Government Area.

Operatives of the Anti-K!dn@pping Section apprehended Aliyu on August 3, 2026, following actionable intelligence that he was negotiating with Aliyu Mohammed, currently at large, for procurement of the firearm.

Detectives launched an operation and apprehended Aliyu before the weapon could be delivered.

During interrogation, the suspect admitted involvement in the attempted arms transaction and disclosed that N1.6m had already been paid toward the rifle purchase.

He revealed the firearm was intended to elevate his position within his current k!dn@pping gang before breaking away to establish and lead his own criminal group.

Investigators commenced verification of the transaction to establish identities of other individuals connected with the attempted purchase and determine the extent of the criminal network.

The ongoing investigation is expected to provide further leads into the circumstances surrounding the attempted acquisition, identify persons connected with the illicit arms transaction, establish the full extent of the network, and unravel broader criminal activities associated with the gang.

The arrest follows heightened security operations across Kwara State following a series of k!dn@ppings and violent crimes in several communities.

The Commissioner of Police assured residents the command would sustain intelligence-led operations against criminal elements and continue deploying available resources to protect residents.

He stated there would be no respite in the offensive against criminal elements until communities were sufficiently secured.

The suspect remains in custody as investigation continues, with efforts ongoing to apprehend Mohammed and identify other persons allegedly connected with the attempted arms transaction.