The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismantled an illegal firearms manufacturing factory and arrested two suspected gang leaders, Effiong Ekpenyong and Godwin Nduaesa, in Okobo Local Government Area.
The syndicate was uncovered by operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), a strategic initiative of the Inspector-General of Police aimed at tackling violent crime nationwide.
In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, said the arrests were made along the Okobo-Eket axis following intelligence gathering and coordinated operations.
“Acting on credible intelligence, operatives conducted a coordinated, intelligence-led raid on locations suspected of being used for the local fabrication, servicing and repair of firearms within the Okobo and Eket axes,” the statement read.
A cache of weapons and incriminating materials was recovered during the two-hour operation, including three English-made double-barrel guns, two English-made single-barrel guns, ten locally fabricated single-barrel guns, four iron barrels used in gun fabrication, two gas cylinders, two toolboxes containing fabricated implements for gun construction and repair, and one live cartridge.
The Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, has reiterated the command’s commitment to dismantling illegal firearms manufacturing and trafficking syndicates across the state. He warned that the proliferation of small arms remains a major enabler of armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and communal violence.
“Individuals involved in the illegal production, repair, distribution or possession of firearms must desist immediately or face the full weight of the law,” he said.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the suspects’ involvement and to apprehend other members of the criminal network.