The Enugu State Police Command scored a major achievement when it discovered a gun manufacturing factory located at Ihuoha-Amansiodo Oghe in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who spoke SUNDAY PUNCH, said that the discovery was made possible through the assistance of members of the public, who provided information on the factory’s location.
Amaraizu disclosed that the place was run by an operator identified as Mr. Ejike Eze.
The police spokesperson, however, said Eze, who is now at large, relocated some of the arms when he was tipped off on the police’s intention to search the place.
He said, “The principal suspect relocated some of the manufactured cut-to-size double barrel and single barrel guns, his manufacturing tools and some of the manufactured cartridges to his female friend identified as Mrs. Juliet Nwachukwu, a widow with about four children, and absconded”.
He said Mrs. Nwachukwu had been arrested.
Amarizu explained that Mrs. Nwachukwu was arrested for being an accomplice in gun running, adding that the police found out that the illegal company served as an arms market for hoodlums.
He said the female accomplice admitted that the guns and the tools were brought to her two days before the police raided the factory.
“She told us that the manufacturer did not give her any reason for bringing the arms to her house.
“She, however, revealed that Ejike has been a manufacturer of guns for some time now and regretted accepting them from him.
“So many manufactured and about to be manufactured guns with some manufactured live cartridges as well as some tools for the manufacturing were recovered during a raid of the place”.
Amaraizu stated that investigations into the incident had begun and a state-wide manhunt on the fleeing suspect had intensified, “while Juliet Nwachukwu is helping the police in their investigations”.
I thank the Police for a good job done however, the Police should intensify efforts in arresting the fleeing principal suspect and his collaborators and most especially, those whom he has being supplying the arms to and the buyers.