The Niger State Police Command has recovered three AK-47 rifles, six magazines, and 104 rounds of ammunition from two motorcycle accident victims suspected to be arms couriers along the Boyi Sarki–Toll Gate axis of the state.
The incident occurred on February 17, 2026, around 9:50 pm near the Boyi-Sarki/Toll Gate area. The victims, riding a motorcycle from Tafa in Kaduna State toward Abuja, reportedly ran into a road construction/diversion barrier.
State Police Spokesperson, Superintendent Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed that police patrols responded to a distress call and discovered a sack belonging to the accident victims containing three AK-47 rifles, six magazines, and 104 rounds of ammunition.
“Unfortunately, one of the accident victims died on the spot, and during an effort to rescue the second person from the scene to the hospital, he was lynched by the mob to death. The corpses were moved to the general hospital morgue in Suleja,” the statement read.
The Commissioner of Police for Niger State Command, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, condemned such acts of jungle justice, stating that the suspect would have helped the Police to ascertain the source of the rifles and unravel their aim, rather than resorting to self-help approach.
He directed Area Commander Suleja to commence a thorough investigation and ensure arrest of the perpetrators while the rifles are under ballistic analysis for further investigation.
The discovery of sophisticated weaponry in the possession of the motorcycle riders has raised concerns about arms trafficking along the Kaduna-Abuja corridor, an area that has experienced security challenges in recent years.
Security experts believe the suspects were likely transporting the weapons for non-state actors, though the exact destination and intended recipients remain unknown following the mob action that killed the surviving suspect.
The lynching incident highlights the persistent problem of jungle justice in Nigeria, where angry mobs sometimes take the law into their own hands, denying security agencies the opportunity to properly investigate crimes and apprehend other members of criminal networks.
Police authorities continue to appeal to citizens to resist the temptation to engage in mob justice, emphasizing that suspects should always be handed over to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution through the judicial system.