Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a graduate of Animal Science from the University of Uyo, identified as Koabasi Marsodi, for allegedly operating an illegal arms fabrication facility in Uyo.
Marsodi was arrested on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at about 9:00 p.m. during a raid targeting criminal hideouts, illegal arms production centers and drug networks across the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued in Uyo on Monday.
According to the statement, operatives raided the suspected criminal hideout located at Idem Street, off Itu Road, in Uyo, following credible intelligence reports.
Police said investigations later revealed that the facility was being used not only for the production of narcotic-laced food items but also as a clandestine workshop for the fabrication of arms and ammunition.
The statement read, “On March 15, 2026, at about 2100 hours, operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a suspected criminal facility located at Idem Street, off Itu Road, Uyo.
“The operation was carried out following intelligence reports that illicit chin-chin snacks laced with Indian hemp were being produced and distributed from the location.
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“Upon raiding the premises, police operatives discovered that the facility was not only being used for the production of narcotic-laced food items but also functioned as a clandestine arms and ammunition fabrication workshop.”
The police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly operated the illegal facility.
According to the statement, Marsodi reportedly confessed to producing narcotic-laced chin-chin and engaging in the illegal fabrication and modification of firearms, including cutting long guns into shorter, concealable weapons.
Items recovered from the facility include eight refilled cartridges, six expended cartridges, a bag of gunpowder, refilling pellets, a pack of striking pins, and a rifle butt.
Other items recovered are filing, cutting and drilling machines used for weapon fabrication, filing and cutting stones, assorted saws, two machetes, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, packets of chin-chin suspected to be laced with Indian hemp, and two pairs of black military boots, belts and a jacket.
The police said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network mentioned during interrogation.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Mohammed Azare, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to identify, dismantle and prosecute individuals involved in illegal arms fabrication, drug distribution and other criminal activities threatening public safety.
The command also warned criminal elements in the state to desist from such activities or be prepared to face the full weight of the law, noting that intelligence-driven operations would continue across identified crime hotspots.
Punchnews
