A 30-year-old notorious gunrunner, Shehu Ali Kachala, has confessed to supplying hundreds of rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to criminal gangs in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger States, with the alleged protection of a serving soldier.
Kachala, who was arrested by operatives of the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (FIIB) in Gusau, Zamfara State, disclosed that he had been running arms deals from Niger Republic for the past three years.
He revealed that he successfully delivered 450 rifles and over 8,000 live rounds of ammunition to different bandit groups across the troubled northwest.
According to his confession, the illegal consignments were often transported under the cover of a military personnel, who allegedly provided him with safe passage at security checkpoints.
“Each rifle was sold between ₦600,000 and ₦1 million, depending on the model, while a single round of ammunition cost ₦1,100,” Kachala admitted. “I made at least ₦300,000 profit on every rifle I supplied.”
Security experts have described the revelation as another pointer to the deep infiltration of Nigeria’s security architecture by criminal collaborators.
They warn that the unchecked flow of arms from Niger Republic and other neighboring countries continues to embolden bandits, worsening insecurity in the region.
Authorities confirmed that investigations were ongoing to unravel the network behind the illicit trade and to identify the soldier alleged to have provided cover for the gunrunner.
The arrest has reignited concerns about how bandit groups, despite years of military operations and billions spent on security, continue to access sophisticated weapons with ease.
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