Cletus Nwadiobu, the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, has announced the dismantling of two illegal firearm manufacturing factories and the arrest of suspected gunrunners and armed robbery suspects in a series of coordinated operations across the state.
Briefing journalists in Makurdi on Friday, Nwadiobu said the operations were part of the command’s intensified campaign against the proliferation of illegal weapons and violent crime.
According to him, police operatives raided an illegal firearm manufacturing facility in Buruku Local Government Area, where one suspect was arrested. The raid led to the recovery of two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, firearm manufacturing tools and other accessories used in producing weapons.
In another operation at Adikpo in Kwande Local Government Area, officers arrested a second suspect and recovered five locally fabricated English pistols. The suspects remain in police custody and will be arraigned after investigations are concluded.
Nwadiobu also disclosed that the command dismantled a suspected armed robbery syndicate believed to be responsible for a string of violent attacks in Buruku and neighbouring communities.
He said operatives of the Operation Zenda Crack Squad, acting on credible intelligence received on July 13, 2026, arrested 35-year-old Ephraim Tertseagh Yough, who was allegedly conducting surveillance ahead of another planned attack.
The suspect reportedly provided information that led police to the gang’s hideout at Kusuv in Buruku Local Government Area, where a follow-up operation on July 16 resulted in the arrest of five additional suspects.
The operation also led to the recovery of a K2 rifle and a cutlass allegedly used by the gang during robberies and other violent attacks.
Preliminary investigations, according to the police commissioner, linked the suspects to several armed robbery incidents, violent crimes and the killing of residents, including the murder of a trader in Buruku Local Government Area in December 2025.
He said investigations were ongoing to uncover the full extent of the syndicate’s operations and apprehend other fleeing members, while urging residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to help combat crime and enhance public safety.
