Troops of the Operation While Stroke, OPWS, in Benue state have arrested two suspected illegal weapons manufacturers in the state.
The Commander of OPWS, Major General Yekini Adeyemi while giving journalists updates of their operation on Monday, said the suspects were arrested in Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area of Benue state.
According to him, the headquarters of OPWS, five days ago, received reports of some weapons’ manufacturers operating between anyiin in Logo and Ukum LGA of the state.
He explained that on receiving the reports, the forces immediately set out on intelligence gathering to unravel who they were and where they could be apprehended.
According to him, two culprits were identified and apprehended after four weeks of surveillance and they are currently cooperating with the troops by giving useful information.
The Sector Commander in charge of Sector 2 of the operation, in Zaki Biam; Ukum LGA, Captain Samuel Okenarhe further told newsmen that following their investigation, troops of sector 2 on March 24, received a tip off that two men were holding a locally manufactured AK47 rifle at Anyiin town.
“Before we got to the town, we heard that some locals were already lynching one of them while the other one ran away holding the AK47. By evening, we laid an ambush for the second suspect and caught him by his house”.
Capt. Okenarhe stated that it was after their arrest that they led the troops to two locations where they manufacture these weapons in Tine Nune in Ukum LGA of the state.
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Major General Yekini vowed that the troops of the OPWS will go after all those involved in the illegal weapon manufacturing and those causing mayhem and terrorising innocent residents in that axis.
Answering questions from journalists, the Chief Manufacturer of the weapons, one Mr. Cephas Ati, a native of Wukari LG in Taraba State said he had been in the business of manufacturing guns for over two years.
Mr Ati explained that having returned from Europe, he was doing some decent businesses, but became frustrated when all his resources and businesses collapsed as a result of witchcraft leaving him in the state of despair.
The unfortunate situation according to him made him settle for the business of manufacturing weapons.
Mr Ati, a trained Telecommunication Engineer confessed that he has made over 16 AK47 and small riffles during the two years he has stayed in the business, explaining that he sells a complete mahufactured AK47 between 320,000 and 350,000 each while pistol goes for N50,000 depending on the quality.
Mr Ati who said he learnt the business in Mauritania informed that one Tavershima Ivande was the owner of the factory and was the one in charge of sales and delivery to their various customers.
He also confessed that he was arrested in the act when he traveled to Ayiin to negotiate business with one of his friends who requested for an AK47 riffle for self protection.
Items recovered from the weapons manufacturing factory included cartridges, pistols under various stages of manufacture and completion, a sub machine gun, a generator plant, drums and different kinds of equipment required for the fabrication.
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