The Lagos State Police Command said it raided the factory of a blacksmith where illegal firearms were being fabricated for criminals.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Tuesday while parading suspected criminals at the command headquarters in Ikeja.
“On September 11, 2023, around 4pm, based on actionable intelligence on a blacksmith who fabricated firearms for onward sales to criminals around Idata Village of Ibeju-Lekki, operatives of the command busted the factory and arrested one Musiliu Gbenga, 21, and Owolabi Azeez, 22.
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“The following items were recovered from the factory: three single-barrel locally-made pistols, one double-barrel locally-made gun, one single-barrel locally-made gun, two single-barrel locally-made long guns, 10 expended cartridges, 12 long pipes, two drilling machines, one gas cylinder, one vehicle and other fabricated tools,” Hundeyin said.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, also “calls on all persons having illegal possession of arms and ammunition to come forward and submit them without getting arrested or prosecuted.”
According to the command, this is in line with the directive of the acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, that all commands mop up arms and ammunition in the hands of non-state actors within their respective jurisdictions.
Hundeyin disclosed that other suspects were arrested for various crimes such as robbery, cultism, and impersonation of men of the armed forces. Thirty-two suspects were arrested in total.
