A gun runner who promised to deliver high-quality weaponry for ₦95 million to a bandit commander in Katsina State has gone missing.
The claimed occurrence took place in Matazu Local Government Area, where the intermediary was believed to have received the money before disappearing without delivering the guns. The claim has received a lot of attention online because of the peculiar circumstances surrounding the failed arms deal.
Abdullahi Aliyu, also known as General, the legislator representing Musawa/Matazu Federal Constituency, revealed the development in an interview with NTA Hausa. According to him, the suspect has not been seen since he collected the money.
Aliyu linked the incident to escalating tensions along the Matazu axis, claiming that a feared bandit leader known as Kachalla Maha withdrew from existing peace deals following the unsuccessful transaction.
He further alleged that the bandit faction has since increased pressure on adjacent communities by imposing high levies and livestock-based extortion on weak villages, causing security worries in the area.
The lawmaker’s account has sparked new debate regarding the illegal arms trade and its role in perpetuating banditry in Nigeria’s North-West.
The revelation has elicited varied comments on social media, with many Nigerians surprised that a suspected criminal was cheated in an illicit transaction.
Some questioned the validity of the accusations, citing the lack of an official statement from security agencies regarding the purported ₦95 million scam or the disappearance of the accused intermediary.