Police Uncover Illegal Gun Factory, Arrest Seven in Yobe

The Yobe State Police Command has uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication workshop in Potiskum Local Government Area and arrested seven suspected gunmakers during a security operation.

The arrest followed a raid conducted on Monday at a blacksmith workshop located in the Tasha Adua area along Danchuwa Road in Potiskum.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Dungus Abdulkarim, described the operation as a major breakthrough in the command’s ongoing efforts to combat crime and criminal activities across the state.

According to the police, operatives from the Potiskum Area Command, working alongside officers from the Divisional Police Headquarters, carried out the raid based on intelligence reports alleging the illegal production of firearms at the workshop.

Abdulkarim said the suspects were apprehended during the operation, while security personnel recovered several items believed to be connected to the illicit manufacture of weapons.

Among the exhibits recovered were two fabricated pistols, 24 muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, a filing machine, and other tools used in metal fabrication.

The police spokesperson explained that the operation was launched following credible intelligence indicating that some blacksmiths were allegedly engaged in the illegal production of firearms capable of posing security threats to the public.

He disclosed that the suspects remain in police custody and are currently being investigated to determine the extent of their activities, identify possible accomplices, and establish the intended destination of the weapons.

The Commissioner of Police, Usman Kanfani Jibrin, has reportedly ordered an expanded investigation into the case to uncover any additional illegal firearms fabrication centres operating within the state.

The police chief also directed investigators to assess the broader security implications of the operation and determine whether the suspects had links to criminal or insurgent networks.

The command urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing useful information to security agencies, stressing that public cooperation remains essential in the fight against crime and the proliferation of illegal weapons.

The latest operation forms part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb the circulation of illicit firearms and strengthen public safety across Yobe State and the wider North-East region.