Gombe — The Gombe State police command has uncovered an illegal arms manufacturing outfit in Katam village of Akko local government area of the state that is believed to be supplying firearms to armed robbers terrorizing the area.

Briefing newsmen on Tuesday, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Joseph Ahmed Ibi, said following a tip off, operatives of the Criminal Investigation Bureau attached to the command went into the village and arrested the man, Salihu Babayo, who is believed to be the manufacturer of the weapons.

He said the police conducted search in the suspect's house and found seven single-barrel guns, one locally made revolver pistol and several tools suspected to be materials for manufacturing the firearms.

The police commissioner said the suspect had on interrogation, confessed to manufacturing the firearms illegally in commercial quantity for sale to interested buyers and that he would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

He appealed to the public to assist the police with useful information about those suspected to be criminals assuring that the command was poised to fight all forms of crime in the society.

Our correspondent reports that there had been reports of rampant cases of armed robbery operations in the local government area in recent times along the Gombe-Yola road.