The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), on Friday in Abuja, said a rocket launcher production facility believed to be working for Boko Haram insurgents has been uncovered at Dorayi District in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano, North-West Nigeria.

A statement signed by Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, issued in Abuja said that cordon and search exercise led to the discovery of the facility. It explained that the discovery followed the arrest of a prominent member of Boko Haram.

“Locally made anti-aircraft gun and mortar accessories and rocket propelled grenade tubes and launcher along with accessories were recovered,” the statement said.

“Also seized were three AK47 rifles and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunitions as well as drilling machines and other fabricating equipment,” it added.

In another development, at least three persons, including a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and a corporal have been arrested for illegal trafficking of arms and ammunition. The third suspect, Onuwa Attaka, is the driver of the arms laden vehicle.

It was gathered that their confession showed alleged involvement in supply of arms to insurgents in northern Nigeria.

The three suspects, who were heading to the North from Imo State, were intercepted in Nsukka, Enugu State, by officers and men of the Nigerian Army while travelling in a bus.

Items recovered from them include 40 AK47 magazines, 4 boxes of AK47 live ammunition, 100 pieces of live cartridges, one piece of Denin Mopol khaki and charms concealed in a cap.

One of the army officers who spoke to reporters under anonymity disclosed that a police corporal serving in Imo State Police Command was also involved in the arms running.

He said: “When we asked the occupants of the vehicle to come down, we discovered a police corporal in uniform among them. The corporal on getting down pretended to be pressed; he later ran away.”

It was gathered that the suspects were taken to Nsukka Police Division before their transfer to the state CID.

The retired DSP, Abu Haruna, confessed that he had been in the business of arms dealing since he retired from the police.

He said their mission was to supply the ammunition to their buyer in Taraba State.

The source said Haruna further confessed that they decided to go on the supply after the buyer complained that the first batch was incomplete.

The Police Corporal’s has been traced to Imo State Police command; his name was simply given as Solomon. Efforts are still being made to effect his arrest.

•Pieced together from reports in PM NEWS and THISDAY. Photo shows Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.

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