Operatives of the Yobe State Police Command have uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication workshop in Potiskum Local Government Area and arrested seven suspected gunmakers.
The suspects were arrested on Monday during a raid on a blacksmith workshop at Tasha Adua along Danchuwa Road in Potiskum, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim.
Abdulkarim said operatives of the Potiskum Area Command, working with officers from the Divisional Police Headquarters, carried out the operation after receiving intelligence on the alleged illegal fabrication of firearms in the area.
The police spokesman said the suspects were arrested while several exhibits were recovered from the workshop.
Items recovered included two fabricated pistols, 24 muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, a filing machine and a cutlass.
Abdulkarim said: “The Yobe State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough in its sustained efforts to combat crime and criminality across the state.”
He added: “The operation was carried out following credible intelligence on the activities of some blacksmiths engaged in the illegal fabrication of firearms.”
The police said the suspects are in custody and undergoing investigation to identify possible collaborators, buyers and the intended use of the weapons.
The statement added that the Commissioner of Police, Usman Kanfani Jibrin, had directed an expanded investigation to uncover other illegal firearms fabrication centres and determine the security threat posed by such activities.
The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
More details here...
