A routine police raid in Uyo has uncovered a suspected underground weapons workshop allegedly run by a graduate of University of Uyo. Investigators say the facility was not only producing modified firearms but also distributing snacks allegedly laced with cannabis.
The discovery is raising fresh questions about the growing sophistication of small-scale arms production networks operating quietly in parts of Nigeria.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Akwa Ibom State say they have arrested a suspect identified as Koabasi Marsodi, a graduate of Animal Science from the University of Uyo, for allegedly operating an illegal arms fabrication workshop.
According to police authorities, the suspect was apprehended on Sunday night during a targeted raid at a property on Idem Street, off Itu Road in Uyo. The operation formed part of a broader security initiative known as Operation Zero Black Spots, which focuses on dismantling criminal hideouts and illicit arms manufacturing centres across the state.
Officers acting on intelligence reportedly stormed the location expecting to disrupt the production of narcotic-laced food products. However, the raid revealed something more complex: a facility allegedly doubling as a clandestine workshop for the fabrication and modification of firearms.
Police say the suspect allegedly modified long guns into smaller, concealable weapons and produced narcotic-laced snacks that were being distributed locally.
Authorities said several items linked to firearms production were recovered during the operation. These included refilled cartridges, empty shells, gunpowder, pellets, striking pins, and a rifle butt.
Investigators also seized mechanical tools believed to be used for weapon modification, including drilling and cutting machines, files, saws, and sharpening stones. Additional items recovered from the site included machetes, substances suspected to be cannabis, and packets of chin-chin believed to contain narcotics.
Police also found black military-style boots, belts, and a jacket during the search.
Beyond the dramatic details of the arrest, the case underscores a wider concern within Nigeria’s internal security landscape: the spread of decentralized weapons production.
Security agencies have long warned that illegal firearms circulating in the country are not always imported through traditional smuggling routes. Some are assembled locally or modified from hunting weapons, creating a shadow supply chain that is difficult to track.
This is particularly concerning for law-enforcement agencies because modified weapons are easier to conceal and distribute within criminal networks.
The alleged use of narcotic-laced food products also introduces another dimension — the intersection between drug distribution networks and organized crime operations.
While investigators say the suspect has made initial admissions during interrogation, authorities believe the facility may have been linked to a wider network.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Baba Mohammed Azare, said the command remains committed to dismantling illegal arms operations and criminal supply chains operating in the state.
Investigators are now pursuing leads to identify other suspects mentioned during questioning.
Authorities say intelligence-driven raids will continue across identified hotspots as part of efforts to curb weapons proliferation and drug distribution in the region.
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