The Akwa Ibom State Police Command says it has arrested two suspects after raiding a location in Uyo allegedly used for illegal arms fabrication and the production of food items laced with наркотics.
In a statement issued on Monday, the command said the operation was carried out on March 15, 2026, at about 9pm at Idem Street, off Itu Road, Uyo, following credible intelligence.
Police said operatives moved into the premises after receiving reports that chin-chin allegedly mixed with Indian hemp was being produced and distributed from the location.
According to the command, officers discovered during the raid that the facility was being used both for the production of narcotic-laced snacks and as a hidden workshop for the fabrication of arms and ammunition.
Items recovered from the premises included eight refilled cartridges, six expended cartridges, a bag of gunpowder, refilling pellets, a pack of striking pins, a rifle butt, filing, cutting and drilling machines, filing and cutting stones, assorted saws, two machetes, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, packets of suspected drug-laced chin-chin, two pairs of black military boots, belts and a jacket, a laptop, three live turtles believed to be used for charms, and other items described by police as incriminating.
The police identified the suspects as Marsodi John and Koabasi Marsodi, also known as Five. Both are said to be from Uya Oron in Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The command said preliminary investigation showed that Koabasi Marsodi, described as the principal suspect and a graduate of Animal Science from the University of Uyo, allegedly operated the facility.
Police added that he allegedly confessed to producing narcotic-laced chin-chin and modifying firearms, including cutting long guns into shorter weapons that could be more easily concealed.
The suspects are in police custody, while further investigation continues to track down other members of the network said to have been named during interrogation.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Baba Mohammed Azare, said the command would continue intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling illegal arms workshops, drug networks and other criminal hideouts across the state.
He also urged residents to support the police with timely and credible information, assuring that such information would be treated confidentially.
