The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has uncovered a gun manufacturing factory operated by a father and his sons, where various firearms were fabricated and sold to criminals.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph O. Eribo, during a press briefing on Monday at the Command Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
Eribo revealed that the discovery was made following credible intelligence, prompting a swift response from operatives who raided the factory. During the operation, one suspect, identified as David Nse Emmanuel, was arrested, while his father, Akpan Nse Emmanuel, and his brothers, who allegedly co-ran the illicit business, managed to escape.
Recovered items from the factory included seven newly fabricated single-barrel guns, five double-barrel guns, a special steel double-trigger pistol, a broken single-barrel gun, a trigger-handle walking stick knife, and multiple cut iron pipes used in making gun barrels.
“Based on credible information received by the Command, operatives raided a gun-making factory where firearms of various types were fabricated and sold to criminals. During the operation, one David Nse Emmanuel was arrested, while his father, Akpan Nse Emmanuel, and his brothers, who jointly run the business, fled,” Eribo stated.
The Commissioner assured the public that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and dismantle the illegal firearms trade in the state.
In a separate development, the police arrested a suspected child trafficker, Promise Boniface, who had abducted five children from a single mother. The children were rescued unharmed and reunited with their mother.
The arrest followed a distress call received on November 14, 2024, at about 3:10 pm, from a woman (name withheld), reporting that an unknown man had taken her five children on a motorcycle. The motorcycle used in the crime was also recovered by the police. The Akwa Ibom State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to combating crime and ensuring the safety of residents.