Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Jevaun Rhashan
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Katsina State has achieved a significant operational success with the discovery and dismantling of a suspected illegal arms fabrication factory in the state’s northwest region, leading to the arrest of four individuals allegedly involved in the illicit arms production network.
According to a statement issued by the State NSCDC Command on Friday, February 28, 2026, operatives of the command’s Special Rapid Response Squad acted on credible intelligence on Thursday, February 26, 2026 to locate and shut down an armed manufacturing facility in Kore Village, situated along the Batsari Road in Batagarawa Local Government Area. The intelligence indicated that the site was being used to produce prohibited weapons and related equipment, potentially for distribution to criminal groups or black-market buyers operating across the region.
The operation, carried out at about 10:00 a.m., was directed by the state commandant, Abbas Dan-ile Moriki, who emphasised that rapid response to actionable information remains central to the Corps’ strategy against arms proliferation and economic sabotage. On reaching the factory, NSCDC operatives discovered the suspects engaged in what appeared to be active weapons fabrication. During the raid, officers seized a number of weapons and an array of metal-shaping tools and equipment commonly associated with improvised arms manufacturing.
The four suspects — identified as Haruna Lawal (28), Badamasi Kabiru (50), Hamza Lawal (30) and Sagir Abba (25) — were apprehended inside the facility. Investigators allege that the operation of the site involved producing unlawful firearms and assisting the circulation of unregulated weapons. The detainees are currently undergoing interrogation as security personnel work to determine the full scope of the syndicate, including possible links to criminal networks, buyers, distribution routes and any other collaborators who may be involved in illegal arms deals beyond Katsina State.
State command officials confirmed that the suspects are being processed for prosecution, with due diligence to ensure accountability in accordance with Nigerian law governing illegal possession and manufacturing of firearms. The NSCDC’s statement reaffirmed the commitment of the Corps to combating illicit arms proliferation, dismantling criminal enterprises and ensuring the safety of communities vulnerable to violence and crime.
The command’s public relations officer, Buhari Hamisu, appealed to the public to sustain cooperation with security agencies by supplying timely and credible intelligence that can help expose unlawful activities. He reiterated that community-level reporting is critical in preventing the flow of illicit arms, which fuel criminality such as banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes that have plagued various parts of northern and central Nigeria.
Analysts note that illegal arms fabrication factories pose a serious threat to national security by enabling criminal groups to source weapons locally rather than through international trafficking, complicating efforts by security forces to stem the flood of small arms. The arrest also resonates with recent national figures revealing the NSCDC’s ramped-up efforts over the past five years, during which thousands of suspects — including economic saboteurs — have been apprehended and numerous illegal operations sprawling across sectors have been disrupted.
In recent years, security agencies including the NSCDC, police and military have carried out several arms seizures and raids on illegal production facilities in multiple states, citing the proliferation of unregulated weapons as a key driver of insecurity. The dismantling of this factory adds to those ongoing counter-proliferation efforts and represents a proactive response aimed at depriving criminal syndicates of the means to arm themselves.
The suspects will face charges in a court of competent jurisdiction once investigations conclude. Observers say the outcome of this case may also provide broader insights into local dynamics of arms production, potentially exposing how weapons are being manufactured, supplied and used by non-state actors involved in violent crime.
Overall, the NSCDC’s action in Katsina is being publicly lauded as a positive development in the battle against illegal arms and insurgent-linked activities in Nigeria’s troubled northwest region, even as security forces work to deepen intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration to disrupt networks facilitating violence at community and interstate levels.
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