Police nab teenage local gun manufacturer, 13 traffic robbers in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a gun manufacturer in Ajah area of the state.

The alleged gun producer and his accomplices came from Benue State to deliver some arms and ammunition to some criminals in Lagos when he was apprehended.

The prime suspect, Shapraku Umade, told newsmen yesterday that this was his first time of trading in guns.

The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who paraded the suspects alongside 300 others for various crimes, said: “The gun manufacturer and his suppliers were arrested in Ajah when they came to deliver some arms and ammunition to some armed robbers. On August 8, information was received from a credible source that some arm merchants based in Adipo area of Benue were bringing arms and ammunition to Ajah to sell to some armed robbers and cultists.

“Sequel to the information, SARS operatives were mobilised to Ajah to closely monitor the area. The exercise paid off as three of the arm dealers were arrested in a hotel at Lekki, by Jakande Estate, with a shuttle bag containing two locally-made barrette pistols. The suspects are: Shapraku Umade, 19; Moses Anzuur, 19; and James Tsebee, 20.

“Umade is the blacksmith who fabricated the firearms. He acquired the skills from his late father. It was revealed that the suspect usually sells the guns to their Lagos collaborators for N30,000 each. He has been in the illicit business for the past two years.”

The suspected gun manufacturer, Umade, told newsmen that he was angry, as he has betrayed the trust his people had in him. “I am angry because my family is in trouble. We are four in our community contracted to be producing guns for our community. We produce the guns to confront Fulani herdsmen who are thorns in our flesh. We have been instructed not to sell to anyone, except our community. The chiefs will deal with my family for betraying the trust bestowed on me.

“We can manufacture AK-47, Beretta pistol, pump action, double and single barrel guns and other sophisticated guns. We can also produce ammunition, but all were to fortify ourselves against herdsmen invasion. Once we get a sample of any gun, we can produce it and it will be difficult to differentiate between our guns and that of the Western world.

“It was the devil that pushed me to sell guns to the hoodlums in Lagos. My wife is about to deliver and I needed money badly; that was why I sold two pistols to a man in Lagos. The man did not pay me, so when I requested for the money, he asked me to meet him in Lagos. When I arrived, the man lodged me in the hotel. It was while we were in the hotel that the police came and picked us.”

Meanwhile, police operatives in Lagos have also arrested 13 suspected traffic robbers for attacking residents in different parts of the state. The suspects: Ismail Tosin, 23; Lukman Nojeem, 18; Segun Ade, 20; Rafiu Jamiu, 29; Lateef Yusuf, 28; Mabinuola Wale, 20; Taiwo Hazan, 19; Adeleke Oluwasegun, 17; Adeniji Saliu, 18; Bamidele Oluwatobi, 33; Sodiq Sanni, 32; and Gabriel Paul Friday, 21 were arrested between June 27 and August 13 at Oshodi, Ikorodu and Badagry areas of the state.

According to the police, the first nine suspects were seen around Cappa/Nitel in Oshodi and suspected to have sinister motives. Detectives from Mushin division were deployed to the location where nine of the hoodlums were caught with a locally-made rifle that had the inscription S.S.C, a long jack knife and cutlasses recovered from them.

“The gang is responsible for series of robberies mostly in traffic around CAPPA-Oshodi and environs. On July 19, at about 10:10a.m., policemen on stop and search duty at Owutu, Ikorodu, intercepted a taxi with two passengers reasonably suspected to be traffic robbers.

“Upon sighting the police, the suspects jumped out and took to their heels. They were given a hot chase and eventually arrested. One locally-made single barrel gun with five live cartridges, one battle-axe and a knife were recovered from them. They confessed to be members of a confraternity terrorising Ikorodu

“On June 27, at about 6:00a.m. information was also received from a reliable source that some group of armed robbers were sighted at MTN Bus Stop along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, robbing unsuspecting victims of their valuables.

“Upon receipt of the information, operatives from Morogbo division and SARS were mobilised to the scene. On sighting the operatives, the armed robbers scampered to different direction to avoid arrest but were given a manhunt. In the process, one of the robbers named Gabriel Paul Friday, 21, was arrested while others escaped.

He was immediately searched and a cut-to-size locally-made pistol with five cartridges were recovered from him.”   (The Guardian)