From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Cross River Police Command had in a Covert Operation bursted an Improvised Explosives Device, IED, and gun manufacturing factory at Osomba community in Akampka local government area of the state.
The Covert Operation Vanguard, carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, was said to be by Commander of Anti Cultism and kidnapping Squad, ACKS, (Dragon Squad) SP Ogini Chukwuma, on the orders of the Commissioner of Police , CP Gyogon Grimah.
The operation, which it was learnt that lasted for over four hours, led to recovery of remote controlled IEDs, detonators, several automatic weapons, dozens of locally made double-barrels and pistols.
In the process also nine suspects were arrested including bomb makers.
Security sources confided in our correspondent said most of the guns and weapons used by gangsters and other criminals to terrorize Akamkpa and it’s environs mostly comes from that place.
Confirming the arrest, the Command’s Spokesperson, SP Irene Ugbo, said that the nine persons arrested are now in their custody including a notorious gangster, armed robbery suspect simply identified as Orok Etim (a.k.a GOWON).
SP Irene Ugbo items recovered include 8 pieces of explosive devices (High explosives 90M), 60M 6 pieces , 10 pieces of detonator and 15 indicators as well as 10 pieces of remotes devices and 10 pieces of battery as power source.
Other items recovered, according to her, include 2 pieces of G3 automatic machine gun, 3 pump actions, 5 pieces of MAC 4 automatic rifles, 5 locally fabricated pistols, LAR riffle, fabricated revolver , locally , beretta Pistol, 650 rounds of 7.6×51 LAR ammunition and 70 pieces of 29 rounds of 7.62×39 AK-47 AMMUNITION of cartridges.
She said the suspected terrorists who were also involved in gun running and armed robbery would be charged to court as soon possible as investigation was ongoing at the moment.
She said: “Once we are done with our investigation they would be charged to court , this is a pure act of terrorism, for them to be making explosives right inside a community with highly sophisticated remote donators, indicators and so on.
“It’s a huge breakthrough for the Command and we are not relenting in our quest to sanitize the state and make Cross River the safe haven that it is , as a matter of fact , we are taking the war to these criminals.”