The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered and dismantled a major arms supply syndicate linked to recent deadly attacks in Benue and neighbouring North-Central states.
A statement released by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Wednesday revealed that police operatives recovered a large cache of weapons, including a rocket launcher, eight AK-47 rifles, two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), and over 3,000 rounds of live ammunition.
The breakthrough followed a series of intelligence-led operations by the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID–IRT).
On June 21, 2025, police stormed a forest along the Nasarawa–Benue border, believed to be a hideout for bandits behind the Yelwata killings. A gun battle broke out, but the criminals escaped with injuries. Two GPMGs were recovered at the scene.
Further progress came on July 8 when police arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Abubakar Isah, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway. He was found in possession of three AK-47 rifles and 1,002 rounds of live ammunition.
Investigations revealed that the weapons were linked to a known arms dealer, Jacob Adikwu, operating from Abinsi in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. He was supplying weapons to a wanted bandit leader, Dan Hassan, who is behind several attacks in Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States.
On July 12, police arrested another suspect, Ibrahim, also known as “Chelsea,” who admitted to sending ₦6.5 million to Adikwu to buy weapons and build a hidden compartment in a Volkswagen car used for transporting arms.
Adikwu was later arrested on July 16 in Abinsi, where police recovered three more AK-47 rifles, 220 rounds of ammunition, and a Volkswagen vehicle. A follow-up operation on July 17 led to the recovery of an additional five AK-47s, a rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the officers for their efforts and assured Nigerians that security forces remain committed to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to restore peace in troubled regions.
“The war against armed violence continues. There will be no hiding place for those arming killers,” Egbetokun vowed.