Kwara State Police Commissioner Ojo Adekimi said on Thursday, August 13, 2026, that police operatives had arrested suspected kidnap gang member Sanda Aliyu in Kaiama Local Government Area over an alleged N1.6 million attempt to procure an AK-47 rifle for a criminal group.

Aliyu was arrested on August 3 by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section after police received what the command described as actionable intelligence about an alleged firearm transaction involving Aliyu and another man, Aliyu Mohammed, who remains at large.

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According to the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, detectives moved quickly after receiving the intelligence and apprehended Aliyu before the firearm could allegedly be delivered.

“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,” Ejire-Adeyemi said.

Police said Aliyu also told investigators that the proposed weapon was intended to help him rise to the position of a “Boss” within his alleged kidnapping gang before eventually leaving to establish and lead his own criminal group.

The allegation offers investigators a potentially important lead into the structure and ambitions of the group, although the claims remain subject to further investigation and any eventual court proceedings.

The police said Mohammed, who allegedly negotiated the firearm transaction with Aliyu, is currently at large. Officers are working to establish his whereabouts and identify other people who may have been involved.

Investigators are also examining the alleged payment and the circumstances surrounding the proposed purchase in an effort to determine the wider scope of the suspected network.

“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 said.

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

For residents in affected areas, the authorities’ focus on intelligence gathering is particularly significant.

Identifying how suspected criminal groups obtain firearms can provide investigators with avenues to disrupt not only individual operations but also the networks supporting them.

Commissioner Adekimi said the command would maintain what he described as an intelligence-led approach to tackling criminality across the state.

“There will be no respite in the ongoing offensive against criminal elements,” the commissioner said.

Adekimi also said the command would continue deploying its lawful intelligence and operational resources in line with the policing direction of Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu.

The commissioner assured residents that the police would sustain operations until communities across Kwara were sufficiently secured and people could carry out their daily activities without fear.

Aliyu remains in police custody as the investigation continues. Police efforts are also focused on locating Mohammed and establishing the identities of other people allegedly linked to the attempted arms transaction.

The case highlights the continuing challenge faced by security agencies in disrupting the supply of firearms to criminal groups, particularly where weapons are allegedly sought to strengthen existing kidnapping networks.

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For now, police have described Aliyu’s arrest as an important breakthrough, but the wider investigation will determine whether the alleged N1.6 million transaction leads authorities to a larger network operating within or beyond Kaiama.