Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have uncovered and dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing facility in Agwatashi, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, arresting a key suspect believed to be involved in the illicit production and supply of locally made firearms.
The discovery followed a security operation carried out on Monday by troops of Sector 2 OPWS, which has operational coverage across Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states, as part of sustained efforts to degrade criminal networks and curb the proliferation of small arms in 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 by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Idadu.
Zubairu explained that the patrol team encountered a concealed location suspected to be used for the local fabrication of firearms, adding that several persons fled the area upon sighting the troops.
According to him, one suspect, identified as Baba Ogar, a 26 year old indigene of Arusu village in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, was arrested while attempting to evade arrest by hiding on top of a tree.
He disclosed that a thorough search of the site led to the recovery of six locally fabricated pistols, assorted tools and equipment used in the production of firearms, a sum of N40,500 in cash, as well as a mobile phone found in the suspect’s possession.
Preliminary investigations, Zubairu noted, indicated that the location functioned as an illegal arms factory, allegedly supplying weapons to criminal elements within and beyond the immediate area.
He added that the suspect is currently in custody for further investigation, while troops have intensified efforts to track down other suspects who escaped during the operation.
The OPWS spokesman reaffirmed the commitment of the military to sustaining aggressive patrols and intelligence-led operations aimed at flushing out criminal hideouts and restoring lasting peace across the joint task force’s area of responsibility.