The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a University of Uyo graduate, Koabasi Marsodi, for allegedly operating an illegal arms fabrication facility.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, March 16, 2026. She said police operatives raided the suspected facility following credible intelligence reports that illicit chin-chin snacks laced with Indian hemp were being produced and distributed from the location.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), further investigations revealed that the facility was not only used for producing narcotic-laced food items but also served as a clandestine arms and ammunition fabrication workshop.
“The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded another significant operational breakthrough in its ongoing Operation Zero Black Spots, a strategic initiative aimed at dismantling criminal hideouts, illegal arms production centres and drug networks across the state,” the statement read.
“On March 15, 2026, at about 9:00 p.m., 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.
“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.”
During a thorough search of the premises, the police recovered several items, including eight refilled cartridges, six empty expended cartridges, one bag of gunpowder, refilling pellets, a pack of striking pins, and one rifle butt.
Other items recovered include filing, cutting and drilling machines used for weapon fabrication, filing and cutting stones, assorted sets of saws, two machetes, a substance suspected to be Indian hemp, packets of chin-chin suspected to be laced with Indian hemp, two pairs of black military boots, belts and a jacket, one laptop computer, three live turtles suspected to be used for charms, and other incriminating items.
Two suspects were arrested during the operation: Marsodi John and Koabasi Marsodi, also known as “Five.” Both suspects are indigenes of Uya Oron in Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspect, Koabasi Marsodi, a graduate of Animal Science from the University of Uyo, allegedly operated the illegal facility. Police said he 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.
The suspects are currently in police custody, while investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network mentioned during interrogation.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, CP 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 that threaten public safety.
He warned that individuals or groups involved in criminal enterprises within the state should desist or be prepared to face the full weight of the law, as the command will continue to intensify intelligence-driven operations across identified black spots.
The police also urged members of the public to continue supporting law enforcement with timely and credible information, assuring that all information received would be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
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