Operatives of the Yobe State Police Command have uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication site in Potiskum and arrested seven suspects.
SP Dungus Abdulkarim, the State Police Public Relations Officer, issued this statement on Wednesday in Damaturu, the state capital.
Abdulkarim said operatives of the Potiskum Area Command, in collaboration with the Divisional Police Headquarters, carried out a coordinated raid following credible intelligence.
He stated that police operatives mobilised to a blacksmith workshop located at Tasha Adua along Danchuwa Road, Potiskum.
According to him, seven individuals were apprehended during the operation, as well as two manufactured pistols, twenty-four muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, one filing machine, and one sharp cutlass.
“The suspects are currently undergoing thorough investigation with a view to identifying their collaborators, possible buyers, and the intended use of the fabricated firearms,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Usman Jibrin, has directed officers handling the case to intensify investigation, identify other illegal firearms fabrication centres within the area, and assess the level of security threat posed by such criminal activities.
The command also warned members of the public not to allow their property or facilities to be utilised for illegal operations, such as the manufacture of hazardous weapons.
He asked locals to be watchful and immediately report any suspicious movements or activity to the nearest police station or other security organisations.