Police intercept arms meant for bandits in Benue, arrest notorious dealer
The Nigeria Police Force has intercepted a major arms supply network arming bandits in Benue and other North-Central states. Several suspects have been arrested and a cache of weapons recovered, including a rocket launcher, following coordinated operations by the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT).
On June 21, 2025, operatives stormed a bandit hideout at the boundary between Kardako, Nasarawa State, and Yelwata, Benue State, acting on intelligence about suspects involved in the Yelwata killings. A gun duel ensued, forcing the bandits to flee with injuries. Two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) were recovered from the location.
Further breakthroughs came on July 8 when officers arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Abubakar Isah, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway. He was found with three AK-47 rifles and 1,002 rounds of live ammunition. Investigations revealed the arms were sourced from Jacob Adikwu, a known dealer in Abinsi, Guma LGA, and were meant for a notorious bandit leader, Dan Hassan.
On July 12, another suspect, Ibrahim, also known as “Chelsea,” was arrested. He admitted to transferring ₦6.5 million to Adikwu—₦6 million for two AK-47 rifles and 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and ₦500,000 to modify a Volkswagen vehicle to hide the weapons during transport to Kwara State.
Police operatives arrested Jacob Adikwu on July 16 in Abinsi and recovered three AK-47 rifles, 220 rounds of live ammunition, and the modified vehicle. A follow-up search on July 17 uncovered an additional five AK-47 rifles, one rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Efforts are underway to apprehend Dan Hassan and other fleeing suspects linked to violent attacks in Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States. The police vowed to ensure all individuals involved are brought to justice.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the operatives for their resilience and reiterated the force’s commitment to rooting out criminal elements who profit from violence against Nigerians.
The IGP assured the public that operations would continue across affected areas to restore peace and enforce law and order, in line with directives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
