By Jelili Gbadamosi
The Benue State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on the proliferation of illegal firearms, dismantling two clandestine weapon manufacturing factories and arresting suspected gunrunners during coordinated security operations across Buruku and Kwande Local Government Areas.
Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiobu disclosed the breakthroughs while briefing journalists in Makurdi on Friday, describing the operations as part of sustained efforts to stem the flow of illicit weapons fueling violent crimes in the state.
According to him, police operatives raided an illegal firearm production centre in Buruku Local Government Area, where one suspect was arrested. Recovered from the scene were two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, firearm production equipment, and other accessories used in manufacturing weapons.
In a separate operation in Adikpo, Kwande Local Government Area, officers apprehended another suspected gunrunner and recovered five locally made English pistols. The suspects remain in police custody and will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
The police command also announced the dismantling of a suspected armed robbery syndicate believed to be behind a string of deadly attacks in Buruku and neighbouring communities.
Nwadiobu said operatives of the Operation Zenda Crack Squad, acting on credible intelligence on July 13, arrested a 35-year-old suspect, Ephraim Tertseagh Yough, who was allegedly carrying out surveillance ahead of another planned attack.
Information obtained from the suspect led security operatives to the gang’s hideout in Kusuv, Buruku Local Government Area, where a follow-up raid on July 16 resulted in the arrest of five additional suspects.
During the operation, police recovered a K2 rifle and a cutlass allegedly used by the gang in carrying out robberies and violent attacks.
Preliminary investigations, the commissioner said, linked the suspects to several armed robbery incidents, violent assaults, and the killing of residents, including the murder of a trader in Buruku in December 2025.
He noted that investigations were ongoing to uncover the full scope of the gang’s operations and track down other fleeing members, while urging residents to continue providing credible intelligence to support efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
