Troops dismantle illegal arms factory in Plateau, nab suspects

Nigerian Army said its troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have uncover and raid a clandestine arms manufacturing site in Gwandanu Village, Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State with the arrest of two suspects.

Captain Chinnonso Oteh, Media Information Officer, joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE revealed this in a statement on Thursday.

​According to the statement, the operation, which was conducted at about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, resulted in the arrest of two suspects caught in the process of fabricating sophisticated firearms.
Industrial equipment used for the production of illegal arms two AK-47 rifles and one G3 rifle, alongside a suite of manufacturing tools such as 2 generating sets, a welding machine, a drilling machine, a hand filler, and a comprehensive technical toolbox were among the items recovered from the factory.

Also, troops deployed at Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, responded to armed attack on members of the Forest Guards and Vigilante Group of Nigeria.

According to the statement, the troops in collaboration with Forest Guards pursued the assailant towards the Jaginde Forest axis.

“Upon sighting the approaching troops around Ungwar Maruwa, the suspected criminals abandoned their motorcycle and fled into the bush. Subsequently, troops intercepted and arrested one of the fleeing suspects. A thorough search of the criminals’ hideouts led to the recovery of an AK 47 rifle, one AK 49 rifle, a motorcycle and a sleeping mat.

​”The arrested suspects are currently in custody undergoing investigation to determine the extent of their distribution network and any potential links to wider criminal syndicates.

“Following this successful intervention, troops have intensified mop-up operations across the general area to locate and recover any remaining locally fabricated weapons that may still be in circulation as well as intercept other members of the fleeing criminals,” Oteh said.