The operatives of the Benue State Police Command have busted a nine-man arms manufacturing syndicate based in Amahundu, Nanev, Kwande Local Government Area of the state.

Among the suspects apprehended from the operational base of the syndicate was a Cameroonian national.

Parading the suspects Wednesday at the Command headquarters in Makurdi, the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, said the gang was apprehended following intelligence in the renewed clampdown on arms manufacturing syndicates in the state.

He said, “It is on the strength of that that the command has intensified intelligence gathering on arms manufacturers. Consequently, on March 4, 2024, at about 4:30 a.m., a team of Operation Zenda, Joint Task Force, JTF, invaded an arms manufacturing hideout at Amahundu, Nanev, Kwande LGA, and arrested the suspects.”

The Police Commissioner listed the arrested suspects as “24-year-old Terer Terfa, aka “Gadafi, 36-year-old Aondonaugen Tse-aa, 27 years old Torkuma Iorlaha is 25 years old, Hangeior Atim.”

Others are “35 years old, Tyav Terwase, 50 years old Gundu Gbagbogum, 20 years old Terwase Shimashan, 18 years old Terese Terver, aka “Gbatiir,” all of various addresses in Kwande LGA, and 33-year-old Adinga Ramseydihno from the Republic of Cameroon.

“The suspects confessed to being involved in manufacturing, local sales, and export of arms. Exhibits recovered from them include eight Barretta pistols under fabrication, one fabricated AK47 rifle, 10 AK47 live ammunition, five Barretta Pistol ammunition, four welding gas cylinders, and other fabricating materials.”

He stated that an investigation was ongoing to unravel the source of the raw materials used by the gang and other possible hideouts.