The suspected killer of the late All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Ishaq Yunusa, has reportedly been apprehended, with a gang confession allegedly identifying a man known as Newman Aruwa Sanni as one of the principal suspects in the killing.
Yunusa was shot dead on August 27, 2026, after gunmen attacked motorists along the Itobe-Ochadamu Expressway around Ojuwo Olijo in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Kogi State Police Command had confirmed at the time that armed assailants emerged from the surrounding bush and opened fire on motorists. Yunusa was found dead inside his vehicle, while another occupant was reportedly taken into the bush.
Fresh information surrounding the investigation now points to the arrest of a suspect identified simply as Newman, who is alleged to have been part of the kidnapping gang responsible for the attack.
Newman Allegedly Pulled the Trigger
According to accounts attributed to the suspects’ confessional statements, Newman Aruwa Sanni was allegedly closely acquainted with Yunusa and was the first member of the gang to shoot the APC chairman.
The same account alleges that another suspect identified as Amade subsequently completed the killing.
The claims have not been independently established in the public police statements reviewed by The Bureau Journal. They are therefore being reported as allegations arising from the reported investigation and alleged confessions.
The circumstances are particularly striking because Yunusa was reportedly known to Newman before the attack, according to the account.
The development could provide investigators with an important lead into how the gang identified and intercepted its victims along the increasingly troubled Itobe-Anyigba corridor.
Suspect Reportedly Worked With Senator Echocho
Another claim surrounding the arrest concerns Newman Aruwa Sanni’s previous employment.
Contrary to claims circulating in some quarters, the account obtained by The Bureau Journal alleges that Newman Aruwa Sanni was not an aide to Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Rather, he was allegedly attached to the office of Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho, who represents Kogi East in the National Assembly.
The allegation is significant because it places the suspect within a political office rather than portraying him as an unemployed individual who suddenly joined a criminal gang.
Available public records also show that a person identified as Newman Aruwa Sani has previously been publicly described as an aide to Senator Echocho. Leadership reported in 2023 that Newman Aruwa Sani was identified as an aide and member of Echocho’s media team. That report, however, does not establish that the person referred to in the current allegations is the same individual now identified as a kidnapping suspect.
That distinction remains important until law-enforcement authorities publicly confirm the suspect’s full identity, employment history and relationship with the senator.
‘He Was at the Chairman’s Burial’
Perhaps the most disturbing element of the account is the allegation that the suspected leader of the gang attended Yunusa’s burial after the killing.
An eyewitness account cited in the emerging narrative claimed that the man who allegedly led the group that killed the Dekina APC chairman attended the burial and cried alongside other mourners.
If independently established, the allegation would illustrate how closely an alleged perpetrator could have remained within the victim’s social environment even after the crime.
However, The Bureau Journal could not independently verify the eyewitness account or establish from publicly available police records that the alleged gang leader attended the burial.
What Happened to the APC Chairman?
Yunusa was travelling along the Itobe-Ochadamu Expressway on August 27 when armed men reportedly attacked motorists around Ojuwo Olijo.
The police said the attackers opened fire at about 5pm, after which a blue Toyota Corolla was found abandoned along the highway. Yunusa was found dead in the vehicle, while another occupant was abducted.
The killing generated outrage across Kogi, particularly because the incident occurred along a highway that had already recorded several kidnapping attacks.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, represented at Yunusa’s burial by his deputy, described the death as a painful loss and pledged stronger measures to restore security along the Itobe-Anyigba corridor.
Itobe-Anyigba Corridor Under Security Spotlight
The reported arrest comes against the backdrop of a series of kidnapping incidents along Kogi’s major transport routes.
The Bureau Journal previously reported that suspected kidnappers attacked three commercial buses along the Itobe-Achigili-Anyigba highway, abducting passengers and triggering a joint security operation. The full report on the three-bus attack is available here.
Security forces subsequently rescued 15 kidnap victims following a gun battle with suspected abductors in the area. The Bureau Journal reported the rescue operation and the confrontation with the kidnappers.
Another major operation later resulted in the rescue of 21 victims, including 15 NYSC members and six other travellers, after security forces engaged suspected kidnappers in a forest hideout. Read how the Kogi security operation freed the 21 abducted victims.
The wider security situation has also affected political activity in the area. The Bureau Journal recently reported an attack on an ADC meeting in Ejule, while a separate appeal by retired Admiral Usman Jibrin called on politicians in Kogi to reject violence. Read the report here.
Investigation Could Answer Key Questions
The reported arrest of Newman could help investigators establish how the gang operated, how victims were selected and whether members of the group had prior knowledge of their targets.
It could also clarify whether the killing of Yunusa was a deliberate political attack or occurred after the kidnappers intercepted him during a broader operation targeting motorists on the highway.
That question is particularly important because the Kogi Commissioner of Police previously said the assailants were reportedly unaware of Yunusa’s identity as an APC chairman and that the killing was not initially targeted at him because of his political position.
The emerging confession, if formally corroborated by investigators, could therefore add a new dimension to the circumstances surrounding the killing.
For now, the allegations involving Newman, Amade and their reported links to the late chairman remain subject to the outcome of the investigation and any subsequent prosecution.
The Bureau Journal will continue to follow the case as security authorities provide further information on the suspects, their alleged confessions and the circumstances surrounding the killing of Ishaq Yunusa.
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