Police Smash Gun-Running Syndicate Behind Mass Killings

In a dramatic turn of events that could mark a turning point in Nigeria’s war against rural bloodshed, the Nigeria Police Force has dismantled a notorious arms trafficking network responsible for supplying deadly weapons to bandit groups operating across Benue and other parts of North-Central Nigeria.

In a string of high-stakes operations carried out between June 21 and July 17, 2025, elite operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) arrested key players in an underground gun-running ring and recovered a cache of military-grade weapons that reads more like war spoils than criminal contraband.

According to a statement released by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the crackdown was sparked by intelligence linking recent Yelwata killings in Benue State to an armed syndicate straddling the volatile borders between Benue and Nasarawa States.

Recovery weapons by the Police

On June 21, FID-IRT operatives stormed a forest hideout near Kardako, Nasarawa State, engaging suspected bandits in a fierce gunfight. Though the assailants fled with gunshot wounds, the operatives recovered two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), a chilling reminder of the firepower at the criminals’ disposal.

Recovered GPMGS

Barely two weeks later, on July 8, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway, operatives intercepted 25-year-old Abubakar Isah, who was caught red-handed transporting three AK-47 rifles and 1,002 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition. Investigations pointed to a wider syndicate led by a notorious arms dealer, Jacob Adikwu, based in Abinsi, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

Vehicle used for arms smuggling

Adikwu’s deadly enterprise was reportedly feeding weapons to Dan Hassan, a bandit kingpin accused of masterminding attacks across Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States.

The blood trail led next to one Ibrahim a.k.a. Chelsea, who was arrested on July 12 after confessing that he had paid Adikwu ₦6.5 million, ₦6 million for the supply of two AK-47 rifles and 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and ₦500,000 for the construction of a concealed compartment in a Volkswagen vehicle intended to smuggle the weapons to Kwara State.

A cross section of recovered weapons

In a swift follow-up operation, police raided Abinsi town on July 16, capturing Adikwu himself and recovering another three AK-47 rifles, 220 rounds of ammunition, and the Volkswagen car used in the operation. The following day, an additional haul was uncovered: five AK-47 rifles, a rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition , a plus for Nigeria’s war against rural banditory.

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For years, communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt have been gripped by recurring waves of massacres, kidnappings, and arson crimes fueled by the seamless flow of illicit arms. But the latest arrests and recoveries suggest that law enforcement may finally be hitting the arteries of Nigeria’s shadowy war economy.

 “There will be no hiding place for those who profit from the bloodshed of innocent Nigerians,” vowed Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while commending the FID-IRT operatives for their “doggedness at all times.”

The IGP reaffirmed the Force’s resolve to flush out all criminal networks and restore peace to conflict-ridden areas, in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the broader mandate to secure lives and property nationwide.

Despite the major breakthrough, Dan Hassan, the alleged bandit kingpin at the center of the bloodletting, remains at large. Police say efforts are being intensified to bring him and his accomplices to justice.

The Benue killings may not yet be over but for the first time in a long time, the pipeline of death has been interrupted.

And for the many families who’ve buried loved ones under red earth and dry tears, that may just be the first step toward hope.

Weapons Recovered at a Glance:

2 GPMG

12 AK-47 Rifles

1 Rocket Launcher

2,222 Rounds of Live Ammunition

1 Volkswagen Car (modified for arms transport).

“The bullet does not know the innocent. But with every weapon taken off the street, perhaps one more life is spared.”Ebhodaghe (2025)