Benue Police uncover fresh arms manufacturing site

Operatives of Benue State Police Command have uncovered another firearms manufacturing site at Ikache village in Oju local government area of the state, recovering locally fabricated firearms at different levels of completion while the alleged arms manufacturer, a 37-year-old father of five, Orohu Akodi was also caught.

This is coming about two months after troops of the military spike operation in the state codenamed ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’ uncovered a similar plant in Logo local government area of the state.

Parading the arms manufacturer yesterday in Makurdi alongside 18 other robberies and kidnap suspects arrested with over 30 different calibres of firearms and live ammunition in various parts of the state, the Police Commissioner Garba Mukaddas said the suspect was arrested following a tip-off.

“We gathered the information that he manufactures prohibited firearms and supplies same to criminals. Our investigation led to his arrest and a search in his house led to the recovery of three assorted live ammunition, two empty shells of expended ammunition and parts of locally made guns,” Mukaddas said.

The alleged arms manufacturer in his confessional statement to reporters said, “I have been in the business of manufacturing guns for over seven years though I hardly stay at home, I always travel to Lagos because my family reside there.

“Most of the guns I made were for people from Cross River State. When they had their crisis sometime back, some of the people needed guns and they approached me to manufacture for them I did and I sold each to them for as low as N7,000.”

The Police Commissioner assured that the Command would carry out a thorough investigation into the respective cases of the suspects and arraign them accordingly.

Meanwhile, the command has flagged off “Operation Puff Adder” in the state to tackle incidences of kidnappings and criminality with a charge on the populace, religious and traditional leaders, youth groups and cooperative unions to join the fight against heinous crimes in the state.