The Police have arrested a welder for allegedly manufacturing and selling locally made guns to criminals in Akwa Ibom state.

The suspect Ekike Hector David of Mbiokporo 1 in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, was apprehended on Monday, 13th September.

Speaking on the development, Police Spokesman, SP Odiko MacDon, in a statement on Tuesday said the suspect was arrested when a surveillance Team of ‘A’ Division located at Barracks Road, were on routine stop and search operations.

SP MacDon further revealed that Ekike was caught in possession of eight locally fabricated AK47 Rifles, one (1) Pump Action, one (1) pistol and six (6) Dane Guns.

The spokesman also added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect sells the locally made rifles and other types of guns to criminal elements who use the same in terrorising innocent members of the public.

He further noted that the Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police, Amiegheme Andrew has ordered an elaborate investigation to uncover and arrest those who patronized him and other conspirators.

Police To Arraign 25-Year-Old Suspected Bandits’ Informant

Meanwhile, A 25-year-old woman suspected to be an informant to bandits has been arrested and will be arraigned soon by the police in Katsina State.

The suspect identified as Rashida Hussaini is said to have been engaged in banditry-related activities and violating the security challenges containment order recently signed by the state governor, Aminu Masari.

Hussaini was arrested while on her way to supply fuel to the bandits on September 14, 2021, at about 14:30 pm by the policemen who were on routine patrol along Kofar Guga-Jibia road.

She was found with a sack and also a polythene bag containing three gallons each filled with fuel, the Police spokesman in the state, SP Gambo Isah, said while parading the suspect at the command headquarters in Katsina.

SP Isah said during questioning, the suspect could not even give a satisfactory account of herself.

“She told the police officers at the point of her arrest that she was from Daddara village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State,” he said.

According to him, she changed her statement, saying that she comes from Gombe State and later changed it again to say she was from a village called Hirji in Niger Republic.

“So we are now charging her to court for violating the security challenges containment order recently signed by the executive governor of the State, Aminu Masari, and for being complicit in banditry-related activities,” Isah added.