Operatives of Benue State Police Command have intercepted and dismantled an arms supply syndicate suspected of being responsible for arming bandits in Benue State and other North-Central States.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who spoke on the arrest and recovery of weapons, said that the operation was in furtherance of police investigation on the deadly attacks by bandits on communities in Benue State.
He disclosed that one Abubakar Isah, aged 25, was arrested on Tuesday, July 8, by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), in a tactical operation, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway in Makurdi, Benue State.
Found in Isah’s possession were three AK-47 rifles and 1002 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
The FPRO said that the suspect’s arrest followed intelligence gathering which indicated an impending arms movement intended for distribution to bandits groups known to be terrorising various communities in Benue State.
Further investigations had revealed that the arms and ammunition were supplied by a notorious arms dealer, Jacob Adikwu, operating from Abinsi, Guma Local Government area of Benue State, and was to be delivered to one Dan Hassan, a bandit kingpin known for orchestrating deadly attacks against communities across Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara states.
In another development, on Saturday, July 12, FID-IRT personnel arrested one Ibrahim a.k.a Chelsea, who confessed to have sent N6.5 million to the same Jacob Adikwu.
He revealed that N6 million was payment for delivery of two AK-47 rifles and 2,000 rounds of live ammunition, while N500,000 was paid for construction of a compartment in the Volkswagen vehicle to conceal the said arms for transportation to Kwara State.
ACP Adejobi stated that in a swift follow-up clearance operation, the operatives stormed Abinsi town and successfully apprehended Adikwu on Wednesday, July 16.
Recovered from his hideout were three AK-47 rifles, 220 rounds of live ammunition and a Volkswagen car.
“Further investigation carried out by the operatives on the 17th July, 2025, led to the recovery of additional five AK-47 rifles, one rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of live ammunition from the same arms dealer,” the Force spokesman said.
He made it known that efforts had been intensified to ensure Dan Hassan and other criminal elements responsible for terrorising Benue State and other parts of the country are brought to book.
He added that those in custody would be have charged to court after the conclusion of investigation.
In a related operation, the FID-IRT personnel, also acting on credible intelligence on the activities of some bandits who participated in the Yelwata killings, stormed the hideout of the bandits in a forest at the boundary of Kardako, Nassarawa State and Yelwata in Benue State, on Saturday, June 21.
A fierce gun duel reportedly ensued, causing the bandits to flee with various degrees of gunshot injuries, while two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) were recovered from their hideout.
In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives for their doggedness at all times.
The IGP reiterated that there would be no hiding place for those who shed the blood of innocent Nigerians, while he urged the operatives to sustain their efforts to maintaining peace in the affected areas as directed by the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to ensuring peace and stability across the country.
