Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a University of Uyo graduate, Koabasi Marsodi, for allegedly operating an illegal arms fabrication facility in Uyo.
Marsodi was apprehended on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at about 9 p.m. during a raid targeting criminal hideouts, illegal arms production centres, and drug networks across the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, disclosed in a statement that the operation was based on credible intelligence leading officers to a suspected criminal hideout at Idem Street, off Itu Road.
“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,” the statement read.
Investigations revealed that Marsodi allegedly produced chin-chin snacks laced with Indian hemp and engaged in the illegal fabrication and modification of firearms, including shortening long guns into concealable weapons.
Items recovered from the facility included eight refilled cartridges, six expended cartridges, gunpowder, refilling pellets, a pack of striking pins, a rifle butt, filing, cutting and drilling machines, assorted saws, two machetes, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, packets of narcotic-laced chin-chin, and two pairs of black military boots with belts and a jacket.
The police said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network identified during Marsodi’s interrogation.
Baba Mohammed Azare, the state Commissioner of Police, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to identifying, dismantling, and prosecuting individuals involved in illegal arms fabrication, drug distribution, and other criminal activities.
He warned criminal elements to desist or face the full weight of the law, noting that intelligence-driven operations will continue across identified crime hotspots.