Army Discovers Illegal Gun Factory In Benue, Arrest Manufacturer, Kidnapper, Others

Security Operatives Arrest Wanted Criminals

Operatives of the Operation Whirl Stroke, operating under the auspices of the joint military intervention force, have uncovered an illegal gun manufacturing plant in Benue State.

According to information made available to Naija News, the operatives also successfully arrested the arms manufacturer along with nine others, including a notorious alleged kidnap kingpin and cattle rustlers operating between Benue and Nasarawa states axis.

The arms manufacturing plant and the fabricator, Shekwa Terna, were discovered in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State, following a reliable tip-off.

Major General Adeyemi Yekini, Force Commander of OPWS while parading the suspects at the OPWS headquarters in Makurdi, said six of the suspects were arrested in Nasarawa State, while four others were apprehended in Benue State.

General Yekini said: “our operation is currently centered on breaking the supply chain of weapon proliferation in the country, because the increasing spate of arms manufacturing is alarming and it is fuelling criminal activities in the country.

“We are targeting weapon manufacturers as a way of breaking the supply chain with a view to reducing the amount of weapons in circulation and curtailing the spate of armed banditry and other criminal activities in the country.”

He added that Seidu Muhammadu, a notorious kidnap kingpin and cattle rustler, along with some of his accomplices, were arrested in Nasarawa State while Moses Dzever, a gang member of the wanted militia leader, Terwase Akwaza, alias Gana, with one other member responsible for Gana’s logistics, was also arrested in Benue.

The arms manufacturer has already confessed to the crime, disclosing he inherited the business from his elder brother after he was arrested by the military months backs.

In his words: “I learned the work from my elder brother, who had earlier been apprehended. After his arrest, I took over the business. I was sleeping in my house when they came and arrested me. I sell the rifles to people in my community, while I sell the pistols to a client from Onitsha.

“Sometimes, when my client from Onitsha comes, he buys up to 15 weapons at once. So far, I have sold over 50 weapons since I started. But I now regret my action and wished I never went into this in the first place.”