Esther Oseyiomon
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have uncovered and dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing workshop in Agwatashi, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The operation led to the arrest of a suspected gun maker believed to be involved in the production and supply of locally fabricated firearms to criminal elements.
The discovery was made on Monday during a security operation conducted by troops of Sector 2 OPWS, which has operational responsibility over Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states.
The operation was part of ongoing efforts by the task force to curb the proliferation of small arms and dismantle criminal networks across the region.
In a statement issued in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, said the illegal facility was uncovered during a fighting and confidence-building patrol.
He explained that the patrol was carried out by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Idadu, who stumbled upon a concealed location suspected to be used for arms fabrication.
Zubairu said several suspects fled the area on sighting the troops, but one individual was apprehended while attempting to evade arrest.
The suspect, identified as Baba Ogar, a 26-year-old indigene of Arusu village in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, was arrested while hiding on top of a tree.
Items recovered from the site included six locally fabricated pistols, assorted tools and equipment used for gun production, N40,500 in cash, and a mobile phone.
The OPWS spokesman said the suspect is currently in custody for further investigation, while troops have intensified efforts to track down other fleeing suspects and sustain operations aimed at restoring peace in the area.