Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have uncovered a gun manufacturing factory in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The discovery, it said in a statement, issued on Friday, followed a week long intelligence operations that finally led to the capture of a wanted gunrunner, Napoleon John who has been on the wanted list of OPSH.
It said the suspect who confessed to the crime led troops to a concealed factory where arms of different calibre were sold by another miscreant identified as Monday Dunia, who confessed to having been in the business for more than five years fuelling the crisis in Kaduna and neighbouring Plateau States.
It said: “In line with the Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Armoured Division, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s resolve to deal decisively with sponsors and perpetrators of crime as well as mopping up illegal weapons in OPSH Joint Operations Area, troops have uncovered a gun manufacturing factory in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.”
It added that a thorough search of the factory led to the recovery of 22 different weapons to include 7 pistols, 2 locally fabricated AK 47 rifles, 2 military grade AK 47 rifles and 9 revolvers.
Others included: One submachine gun, rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, machine tools and a gas cylinder.
It noted: “In a follow on operations by midnight of yesterday uptill early hours of today, 22 September 2033, troops raided another hideout in Adua 1 village in Kafanchan and captured additional 2 x AK-47 Rifles, 2 x revolver rifles, live rounds of 9mm and 7.62 ammunitions, 6 x dangerous daggers, one x hacker axe, several empty cases of 7.62mm special rounds, 2 mobile phones, one fragmental jacket, 2 Police uniforms, one military camouflage trousers, one ammunition magazine carrier, one pistol holster, one military grade camel pouch, one police combat helmet, 2 masks, 4 identity cards, gunpowder, shrapnels, charms and amulets.”
It said also recovered were machine tools and other equipment, adding that the major kingpin (name withheld) was still on the run but would soon be apprehended.