By Patrick Wemambu and Godwin Ogar
Police operatives in separate operations in Abia and Yobe states have arrested 24 suspected criminals and uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication factory.
In Abia, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, said operatives of the Command arrested 17 suspected cultists and recovered different categories of firearms and ammunition.
The Police spokesperson said exhibits recovered from the 17 all-male suspects whose ages range between 18 and 28 include 5 shotguns, 2 cutlasses, 1 axe, 3 live ammunition, 13 mobile phones of different makes and 1 black beret.
“Following the recent upsurge in cult-related activities in the State, including the attack on 13/05/2026 at No. 29 Brass Road, Aba, where a young man was shot and machete to death by a group of suspected cultists; and the attack on 24/05/2026 at Ehere, near Opobo Junction, where another young man was shot by suspected cultists, the Abia State Police Command, leveraging on actionable intelligence, took the fight to the criminals.
Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) successfully apprehended seventeen (17) suspected cultists linked to the aforementioned incidents in Aba, Abia State,” the Police spokesperson said.
The Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Danladi Isa, has therefore reassured residents of the state that the police are committed to upholding its constitutional duties of protecting lives and property as well as preventing and detecting crime in the state.
According to him, there will be no hiding place for cultism and other criminal activities in Abia State with the activation of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) unit in schools and communities.
In Yobe, the state Command’s spokesman, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, said seven suspects were arrested in connection with an illegal firearms fabrication factory in Potiskum.
According to a statement Wednesday, the Police authorities described the arrest as a significant breakthrough, noting that it was part of the renewed strategies of the Commissioner of Police aimed at combating crime and criminality across the state.
“On June 2, 2026, at about 1800hrs, acting on credible intelligence, the Potiskum Area Command led a coordinated raid in collaboration with the Divisional Police Headquarters following reports that some blacksmiths were engaged in the illegal fabrication of Dane guns and other firearms.
“Police operatives swiftly mobilised to the scene, a blacksmith workshop located at Tasha Adua along Danchuwa Road, Potiskum. During the operation, seven suspects were arrested, and the following exhibits recovered,” the statement read in part.
Abdulkarim added that fabricated pistols, 24 muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, one filing machine, and one sharp cutlass were recovered.
He said that the suspects are currently undergoing thorough investigation with a view to identifying their collaborators, possible buyers, and the intended use of the fabricated firearms.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, has directed officers handling the case to intensify investigation, identify other illegal firearms fabrication centres within the area, and assess the level of security threat posed by such criminal activities.
“The Command further advises members of the public to refrain from allowing their premises or facilities to be used for unlawful activities, including the fabrication of dangerous weapons.
“Residents are urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station or other security agencies,” the statement added.
