The Enugu State Police Command has discovered a gun manufacturing factory located at Ihuoha-Amansiodo Oghe in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed to newsmen in Enugu that the factory was discovered last Friday, through information received from members of the public.
Amaraizu said that the place was run by an operator identified as Mr. Ejike Eze.
The PPRO, however, said Eze, who is now at large, relocated some of the arms when he got wind of police’s move to search the place.
He said, “The principal suspect relocated some of the manufactured cut-to-size double barrel and single barrel guns, his manufacturing tools and some of the manufactured cartridges to his female friend identified as Mrs. Juliet Nwachukwu, a widow with about four children, and absconded.”
He said Mrs. Nwachukwu had been arrested.
He stated that Nwachukwu was arrested for being an accomplice in gun running.
Amaraizu added that the police found out that the illegal company served as an arms market for hoodlums.
He said the female suspect admitted that the guns and the tools were brought to her two days before the police raided the factory.
“She told us that the manufacturer did not give her any reason for bringing the arms to her house.
“She, however, revealed that Ejike has been a manufacturer of guns for some time now and regretted accepting the them from him.
“So many manufactured and about to be manufactured guns with some manufactured live cartridges as well as some tools for the manufacturing were recovered during a raid of the place.”
He added that investigations into the incident had commenced and manhunt on the fleeing suspect had intensified, “while Juliet Nwachukwu is helping the police in their investigations.”
