A suspected gunrunner and dealer of locally made AK-47 rifles has been apprehended by the Niger State Police Command in Minna, the capital of the state.

Mustapha Ishaku, a 21-year-old resident of Kuta area in Shiroro local government, was arrested in the Mandela area of Minna.

The arrest was made based on credible information received by the police operatives attached to the Crack Squad of the Command. During the investigation, Ishaku led the police team to a residence in Mandela area where he claimed to work as a guard.

Two additional rifles were recovered from the premises where he had hidden them. The suspect was arrested on March 17, 2024, during an attempt to sell one of the rifles.

During interrogation, Ishaku confessed to being a welder in Kuta and revealed that he had been working with a person named Bala, who is currently at large. Ishaku admitted to fabricating the iron parts of the rifles while Bala specialized in carving the wooden parts. He further confessed to having fabricated a total of 21 rifles with Bala.

The suspect had already sold three rifles to buyers in Izom at a rate of N100,000 each, and two of the recovered rifles were intended for supply in Izom at the same rate.