BANDIT DAGO SALE ALLEGES NIGERIAN SOLDIER SUPPLIED GUNS TO GANG, CLAIMS ₦1BN RANSOM FROM CUSTOMS-RELATED KIDNAPPINGS
A suspected bandit identified as Dago Sale has allegedly accused a serving Nigerian soldier of supplying firearms to his criminal gang, while claiming that the group collected a total of ₦1 billion in ransom from two kidnapping operations involving officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Sale made the allegations during an interrogation conducted in Hausa and captured in a video obtained by SaharaReporters. In the recording, he reportedly described the gang’s kidnapping activities across parts of Kaduna and Kogi states, its forest hideouts, ransom collections and methods of selecting potential victims.
According to the suspect, the alleged soldier supplied firearms to members of the gang at a price of ₦1 million per gun. Sale claimed that the weapons were delivered by vehicle to the group’s section in Kaduna State, adding that the arrangement had been facilitated through the gang’s leadership.
Sale identified the alleged supplier only as Abdul during the interrogation. He claimed that gang leaders introduced members to the soldier and that he had personally participated in purchasing firearms from him.
The suspect further alleged that the soldier owned several houses in an area identified during the interrogation as Pida Bulu, Babang Saura. He claimed that the properties had been built with money obtained through the gang’s criminal activities. These allegations have not been independently verified, and the identity and alleged role of the soldier remain subject to investigation.
Sale also claimed that the alleged soldier was holding ₦5 million belonging to him. He reportedly explained that the money was connected to an arrangement involving the purchase of Plaster of Paris materials for house renovation. The recording did not independently establish the circumstances surrounding the transaction or substantiate the claims about the alleged supplier’s properties.
During the interrogation, Sale said he had been involved in banditry for approximately four years. He reportedly identified Rijana as one of the group’s camps, describing it as being deep inside a forest beyond Sabuwa Gayam and Doguwa Gayam.
The suspect also described alleged kidnapping operations along roads around Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State. He claimed that members of the group stopped vehicles and selected travellers they believed could afford to pay substantial ransoms.
According to Sale, the gang assessed potential victims partly by their appearance, clothing and the type of vehicles they travelled in. He alleged that members blocked roads, seized selected travellers and took them into the forest, where they were held while ransom payments were negotiated.
Sale claimed that the gang demanded between ₦100 million and ₦200 million from some victims. He further alleged that approximately 20 members operated from a camp around Lokoja, while more than 100 bandits operated across several groups in Kaduna State. The figures were claims made during the interrogation and have not been independently confirmed.
One of the most significant claims in the recording concerned two kidnapping operations involving Nigeria Customs Service personnel in Kaduna State. Sale alleged that the gang received ₦500 million following the abduction of a Customs officer in the first incident.
He claimed that the second operation targeted another Customs officer but resulted in the kidnapping of the officer’s wife in an attempt to reach the officer. According to Sale, the gang received another ₦500 million in ransom from that incident, bringing the alleged total from the two operations to ₦1 billion.
The suspect’s account raises questions about the alleged financing of kidnapping operations and the possible sources of firearms used by criminal groups operating in the affected areas. However, the ransom figures and the alleged involvement of a serving soldier have not been independently established through publicly available evidence.
During the interrogation, Sale reportedly indicated that he would cooperate with security agencies to help identify and locate the alleged weapons supplier and other individuals he claimed provided the gang with food and other necessities. Such cooperation, if followed through, could assist investigators in examining the alleged supply network and determining whether other individuals were involved.
Sale also claimed that other members of the gang remained active along the Lokoja road. He said abducted victims were taken into forest locations, although he reportedly could not identify the specific forest where some captives were held.
The allegations come amid persistent concerns over kidnapping for ransom and armed banditry affecting parts of northern Nigeria and major travel routes. The claims, if substantiated, would raise serious questions about how criminal groups obtain firearms and whether individuals with access to security institutions are facilitating their activities.
Nevertheless, statements made by a suspect during interrogation should be treated as allegations until corroborated by independent evidence. The available report did not establish whether the alleged soldier identified as Abdul had been contacted, formally questioned or placed under investigation, nor did it provide an official response from the Nigerian military regarding the accusation.
Security authorities would need to establish the identities of the individuals mentioned, verify the alleged transactions and investigate the reported kidnapping operations. Any conclusions about the involvement of serving personnel or the payment of ransom would depend on evidence gathered through a formal investigation.
Street News Reporters will continue to monitor developments, including any response from the Nigerian military, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant security agencies concerning the allegations of weapons supply, the reported ransom payments and the activities of the suspected gang in Kaduna and Kogi states.
