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 9:00 p.m. during a raid targeting criminal hideouts, illegal arms production centres, and drug networks across the state.
The raid took place at a suspected criminal facility located on Idem Street, off Itu Road, following credible intelligence reports, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, said in a statement on Monday.
Investigations revealed that the facility was being used for the production of narcotic-laced food items, including chin-chin suspected to contain Indian hemp, as well as a clandestine workshop for the fabrication of arms and ammunition.
Police said Marsodi reportedly confessed to producing the narcotic-laced snacks and engaging in the illegal fabrication and modification of firearms, including cutting long guns into shorter, concealable weapons.
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Items recovered from the facility included eight refilled cartridges, six expended cartridges, a bag of 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 suspected narcotic-laced chin-chin, and two pairs of black military boots, belts, and a jacket.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Mohammed Azare, 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 from such acts or face the full weight of the law, adding that intelligence-driven operations would continue across identified crime hotspots.
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network linked to the facility.