The commander of the JTF operation, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, said that troops of the task force discovered the camp in Arhavwarien community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Joint Task Force (JTF)) deployed to protect oil installations in the Niger Delta announced on Monday that it raided a firearms factory in the Niger Delta, where various calibers of light firearms were made.
The commander of the JTF operation, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, said that troops of the task force discovered the camp in Arhavwarien community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
He said that the troops approached the local arms makers in a sting operation and placed orders for some single-barrel guns.
Briefing reporters of the series of raids conducted over the weekend, Land Component Commander of the JTF, Col. Moses Grema, said that three suspects were arrested after troops engaged them in a shootout upon raiding the facility.
“Three principal suspects were arrested following a shootout with the suspects. Items recovered from them include 13 short-barrel locally made guns, five double-barrel locally made guns, and 10 locally made pistols. Others are three live cartridges, one empty cartridge, and two rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition," Mr. Grema said.
He added that in another development, troops arrested a 50-year-old for the alleged theft and sale of an oil wellhead popularly called “Christmas Tree” along with other wellhead accessories.
The colonel said that the wellhead was stolen from an oilfield operated by an international oil company.
He said that troops also arrested a 42-year-old oil theft suspect who has been on the wanted list of the security agencies in the region.
Mr. Grema said that 10 checkbooks, an international passport, five different identity cards and N1,000,100 in cash were amongst items recovered from the suspect..
He applauded the members of the public for their assistance with timely information and urged them to sustain the support.
