NDLEA intercepts bandits, seizes heavy weapons in Katsina, Benue

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested three armed bandits; Adamu Shehu, Tukur Mohammed and lbrahim Suleiman while on an attack mission in Katsina state, with three AK 47 rifles among other dangerous items recovered.

This is even as a heavy weapon manufacturer, Celestine Chidiebere Christian, has been arrested with a high calibre G3 rifle along with seventy-eight(78) rounds of life ammunition (RLA) of 7.62mm calibre and five empty shells of same in Benue while trying to move the heavyweapon and ammunition to Jos, Plateau state.

The arrests and seizures were made at NDLEA checkpoints in the two states where narcotic officers stop and search vehicles for illicit drugs. Speaking when the Benue state command was handing over the high calibre G3 rifle and the suspect to the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday 12″ August, 2021, Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed BubaMarwa (Retd) noted that the NDLEA will continue to push in fight against all crimes and have since directed they be handed over to the Army Brigade in Katsina for further investigation.

Speaking on the transfer of the high calibre weapon manufacturer to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja,

Gen.Marwa said “from the briefs given by the Benue state command, the suspect was arrested on Wednesday, 4th August 2021 at exactly 6:30am, in a bus belonging to CHIBoy Transport Company, enroute Onitsha to Jos when the vehicle was flagged down at Aliade check-point for search. In the process, an iron box completely welded end to end was found in the vehicle, and when the passengers were questioned to know the owner, the suspect, accepted Ownership. “When the steel box was taken to the State Command headquaters along with the suspect, an electric filing machine was used to cut it open a fabricated high calibreG3 rifle along with seventy-eight (78) rounds of life ammunition (RLA) of 7.62mm calibre and five empty shells of same were discovered inside.

However, I asked that Celestine Chidiebere Christian be transferred to Abuja because of the calibre of weapon found with him, which he claims he manufactures.”