Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have raided a clandestine arms manufacturing site in Plateau State, arresting two suspects and recovering rifles and equipment used for producing illegal weapons.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, Media Information Officer, the operation was carried out at about 5:00 pm on Wednesday in Gwandanu Village, Langtang North Local Government Area, where the suspects were caught in the act.
The statement said, “In a significant blow to the proliferation of illicit weapons and the activities of criminal elements, troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE successfully raided a clandestine arms manufacturing site… the suspects were arrested while fabricating sophisticated firearms.”
It added that troops recovered “a substantial cache of weaponry and industrial equipment,” including two AK-47 rifles and one G3 rifle, as well as generating sets, a welding machine, a drilling machine, a hand filler and a technical toolbox used for illegal arms production.
In a related operation in Kaduna State, the statement noted that troops deployed at Gidan Waya in Jema’a Local Government Area responded to an attack on Forest Guards and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.
“Troops in collaboration with Forest Guards pursued the assailants towards the Jaginde Forest axis… upon sighting the approaching troops, the suspected criminals abandoned their motorcycle and fled into the bush,” it stated, adding that one suspect was later arrested.
The statement further disclosed that a search of the hideout led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, an AK-49 rifle, a motorcycle and a sleeping mat.
“The arrested suspects are currently in custody, undergoing investigation to determine the extent of their distribution network and any potential links to wider criminal syndicates,” it added.
It noted that troops have intensified mop-up operations in the affected areas, stressing that the intervention reflects ongoing efforts to restore peace while urging members of the public to provide timely information to support security operations.