Joy Anyim
The Police in Lagos State have arrested a 19-year-old blacksmith, Shapraku Umade, for fabricating and selling firearms in Lagos.
Umade, who was arrested alongside two of his gang members, Moses Anzuur, 19, and James Tsebee, 20, has been a gun runner for four years.
Preliminary investigations revealed the suspects learnt the craft from his late father. He manufactures the firearms in Benue and sells them to criminals in Lagos.
Parading the suspect at the Command Headquarters, in Ikeja, Lagos, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu said the suspects were arrested at a hotel in Lekki on August 3.
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Odumosu said that the suspects sell rifles for N30,000, and were arrested with two locally made barrette pistols.
He said, “ Information was received from a credible source that some arm merchants who based in Adipo area of Benue State were bringing arms and ammunition to Ajah area of Lagos to sell to some armed robbers and cultists.
“Sequel to the information, SARS operatives were mobilized 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.”
In his confessional statement, Umade, said he never knew the guns he sold were used by criminals
“I was in my workshop in Benue, when a man who claimed he came from Lagos bought guns from me on credit.
‘I asked me to come to Lagos with more guns and to also come to collect the money he was owing me.
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“After the person left for Lagos, I then fabricated two other English pistol and came to Lagos to hand it over to him, we were asked to lodge in a hotel waiting for the person to come and received the guns when policemen came to arrest the three of us.
“The man who bought the guns from me, told me that he only wanted to defend himself, l never knew he was a cultist. It was after I was arrested that police said I am selling guns to armed robbers and cultists, I never knew it was offence to sell guns to armed robbers and cultists,” he said.
Tsebee said he only accompanied Umade to Lagos to draw debt. He said, “I didn’t know he was carrying two pistol in his bag, it was after we were arrested and the guns were brought out. I regret coming to Lagos with him.”