In the state's Kaiama Local Government Area, agents of the Kwara State Police Command have stopped a planned purchase of an Ak-47 weapon.

After actionable intelligence revealed the purported illegal arms deal before it was completed, the suspected buyer, Sanda Aliyu, was taken into custody.

In a statement released in Ilorin on Thursday, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, the command's image maker, stated that "on August 3, 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 based on 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 N1.6 million had already been paid towards the purchase of the rifle.“He further revealed that the purpose of acquiring the firearm was to enable him to rise to the position of a ‘boss’ within his current kidnapping gang before ultimately breaking away to establish and lead his own criminal gang.”

The spokesperson claimed that investigative verification of the transaction had established the full scope of the network, revealed additional leads into the circumstances surrounding the attempted acquisition, identified other individuals connected to the illegal arms transaction, and assisted in uncovering the gang's wider criminal activities.

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