Benue Police Nab Notorious Arms Traffickers, Recover Rocket Launcher, AK-47 Rifles, Ammunition
In a major breakthrough against arms smuggling and violent crime, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID–IRT) have arrested two notorious gunrunners and recovered a cache of deadly weapons in Abinsi, a town in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
Confirmed by sources within the Benue State Police Command on Thursday, the operation was described as a significant stride in ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal arms responsible for escalating insecurity across Nigeria’s North-Central region.
The suspects, including a well-known arms dealer identified as Adikwu Ikwulono, were apprehended on Wednesday following credible intelligence that linked them to a network supplying weapons to criminal elements operating in the region.
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Recovered from the suspects during the operation were one rocket launcher, five AK-47 rifles, and thousands of rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. Security operatives believe the weapons were being prepared for delivery to a criminal gang composed of armed herders and bandits believed to be operating along the Benue–Nasarawa border axis.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the gang was planning coordinated attacks on multiple communities in Benue State, using the smuggled arms to unleash violence and further destabilize the area.
Police authorities confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and undergoing intensive interrogation at the FID headquarters. Efforts are also underway to track down other members of the arms-trafficking syndicate, with security forces pledging to dismantle the network entirely.
The arrest marks a major success for the Nigeria Police Force and underscores the growing importance of intelligence-led operations in tackling illegal arms trading and the threat it poses to national security.
By PRNigeria
