The Enugu State Police Command has apprehended a 39-year-old man alleged to be a local firearm repairer, alongside six other suspects, in a series of coordinated, intelligence-driven operations targeting illegal weapons and cult-related activities.
The State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday in Enugu.
According to Ndukwe, the arrests and recoveries were the result of strategic and proactive crime-fighting initiatives introduced by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Giwa.
He revealed that the operations, which spanned from June 15 to June 21, led to the recovery of seven firearms, one expended cartridge, two live cartridges, and several incriminating materials.
“On June 21, operatives of the command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad arrested one 25 years old suspect at 9th Mile.
“A cut-to-size double-barrelled gun with one expended cartridge was recovered from him.
“His arrest followed the confession of three earlier-arrested suspects all of whom admitted to being members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity and disclosed they had used the weapon in various criminal acts,” he stated.
“In a connected operation on June 17, the same tactical squad arrested another suspect, aged 22, following a tip-off from the detained firearm repairer, who was initially picked up over allegations of cultism and armed robbery.
“The investigation led to the recovery of: a locally-made Beretta-like pistol, two double-barrelled pistols, one single-barrel pistol, a chamber of an English-made double-barrel gun, and a set of tools used for firearm repair.
“The firearm repairer reportedly confessed to being a member of the Black Axe Confraternity, claiming responsibility for maintaining and repairing the firearms used in criminal activities,” Ndukwe said.
He further disclosed that joint teams from the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit and the Octopus Tactical Squads conducted raids between June 15 and 20 across known criminal hideouts in Nkanu West and Enugu North Local Government Areas.
“During the raids, another 39 year-old suspect was arrested with a locally-fabricated Beretta-like pistol.
“A cut-to-size gun and two live cartridges were also recovered from fleeing suspects who abandoned them while escaping,” he added.
Ndukwe confirmed that all suspects will face prosecution upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
