Police arrest suspected gunrunner, recover locally made AK-47 rifles in Niger State

The Niger State Police Command has arrested a suspected gunrunner and dealer of locally made AK-47 rifles, Mustapha Ishaku, in Mandela area of Minna, the state capital.  

Spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, March 30, 2024, said three fabricated rifles were recovered from the suspect. 

According to the PPRO, the suspect confessed that he is a welder and had fabricated over twenty rifles with one Bala, who is at large. 

“On 17/03/2024 at about 2330hrs, based on a credible tip-off, Police operatives attached to Crack Squad of the Command arrested one Mustapha Ishaku 21yrs of Kuta area of Shiroro LGA,” the statement read. 

“The suspect was arrested in Mandela area of Minna with three locally fabricated AK-47 rifles during an attempt to sell one of the rifles. In the course of investigation, he led the Police team to a residence within Mandela area, where he claimed he was working as a guard and two other rifles were recovered from the premises where he hid them.

“During interrogation, he confessed that he was a welder at Kuta and that he had been working with one Bala who is at large, and that the said Bala specialized in carving the wooden parts of the rifles, while he fabricated the iron parts. He confessed further that he had fabricated over twenty rifles with Bala.

“He said he had sold three of the same rifles to some buyers at Izom, at the rate of one hundred thousand naira each, while two rifles among the three recovered were also meant for supply at Izom at the same rate. 

“However, investigation is in progress, as the Crack squad is making efforts to locate and arrest the buyers in order to recover the said rifles.”