The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has arrested seven persons for allegedly producing illegal firearms for sales purposes in Abuja. Its Commandant General, CG, Ahmed Audi, disclosed this on Wednesday at a news conference at the NSCDC National Headquarters, Abuja.
The CG, represented by NSCDC Spokesperson, Mr Babawale Afolabi, said that the suspects, consisting of three females and four males, were arrested while producing locally made rifles and pistols. Audi said that the suspects, aged between 29 and 20 years, were arrested around the Moshood Abiola National Stadium area of the territory following an information tip-off to operatives of the Intelligence and Investigation unit of the Corps.
According to him, confessional statements from the suspects revealed that the gang was yet to sell any firearms before their arrest, as the business was still at an early stage. The CG stated that exhibits recovered from the suspects were; five fabricated rifles, one pistol, one unfinished rifle, seven empty cartridges, two boots, rods and a welding machine. “Others are a filling machine, two searchlights, three pliers, shovel, cutlasses, axes, hunters identity cards and belts.