A 19-year-old gun maker, Shapraku Umade has begun to sing like a bird after he was arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) while waiting to meet a buyer.
Umade, who claimed to be a blacksmith, was paraded by the Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday alongside two accomplices, Moses Anzuur, 19 and James Tsebee, 20, all indigenes of Benue State.
The command said the three suspects where nabbed in a hotel in the Lekki area of Lagos while awaiting to deliver guns to a notorious robber that was on its wanted list.
Umade said he learnt how to fabricate simple guns from his late father but took to books to learn how to fabricate more sophisticated weapons.
He said, “I learned the skill of fabricating guns from my late father, who died while I was in Junior Secondary School 3.
“He (late father) could only fabricate single-barrelled guns. I dropped out of school to continue from where my father stopped.
“But I developed myself through some books, on how to fabricate AK-47, SNG, revolvers and even pump action. I buy metals from scavengers to fabricate the guns.
“I am not the only one who fabricates guns in my home town. We were strictly warned by our traditional heads never to sell them to outsiders.
“We only use them to defend ourselves against herders who invade our community. Any time herdsmen come to attack us, people would bring their single-barrelled riffles to us to repair.
“During such attacks, the community would donate money which we would use to buy the materials to fabricate single-barrelled guns for our defence.
“A man named Mayaki came to the village to buy four pistols from me at N30,000, with a promise to send the money to me.
“I had to come to Lagos in search of him because I needed money to prepare for my second child, who is on the way.
“Mayaki lodged us in a hotel and still pleaded with me to be patient, while he sourced for money to pay. He later brought two of the guns through one of my brothers (pointing to one of the suspects).
“We were at the hotel when the police came to arrest us. Our traditional heads will be so disappointed if they hear this.”
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu said that the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.