By Bavoriat Clara
Troops of 3 Division/Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE have dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing factory in Heipang District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, as part of ongoing operations to rid the Joint Operations Area (JOA) of illicit weapons. The raid, carried out on 17 September 2025, followed actionable intelligence.
In a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, the troops arrested a suspected weapon fabricator at the scene, while other collaborators fled before the soldiers arrived.
A thorough search of the factory led to the recovery of:
Twelve assorted fabricated weapons
One fabricated pistol
Nineteen rounds of PKT ammunition
Twelve cartridges
Ten rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition
Ten rounds of 9mm ammunition
Four rounds of 7.62mm (NATO)
One round of QJC ammunition
One smoke grenade
Two fragmental jackets
One Motorola handheld radio
One jack knife
A bucket containing assorted medicines
The suspect and recovered items are in custody for further investigation, while efforts are underway to track down the fleeing members of the illegal arms syndicate.
The 3 Division/JTF OPEP called on the public to continue providing credible and timely intelligence to security agencies in order to sustain the momentum against criminal elements and eradicate the proliferation of illicit arms within the Joint Operations Area.
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