I Thought Myself How To Fabricate AK47, Pump Action rifles — Mohammed Mamuda (Suspect)

A 40-year-old man, Mohammed Mamuda, has been arrested for manufacturing Russian AK47 Rifles and Pump Action Rifles and selling them to suspected criminals.

Mamuda was busted by Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence and Response Team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari.

Police investigators, who were awed by the suspect’s brilliance, exclaimed that they had never witnessed such masterpiece before.

Ironically, the suspect, who is from Bauchi State, married to two wives and father of three, had never been to a school, let alone to be educated. Mamuda told investigators: “I’m not educated, but I attended Arabic classes.

“I’m a farmer, I rear cattle. “I started fabricating iron seven years ago after I bought a motorcycle. “I started repairing it on my own. “Whenever it became difficult, I’ll take it to the mechanic. “That was how I started fabrication. “I became an expert on it. “I’m also a hunter. “Anytime our group has problem with their pump action guns, I’ll be the one to repair them.

“From that point, I used my fabrication skills to start manufacturing pump action guns. “People started buying them.

“I felt the demand for AK-47 Rifle was high. “I ventured into it and tried it. “Although I failed the first time, I tried again and again until I succeeded.”

Mamuda narrated that in his village, where he produces the rifles, some kidnappers used to come with such guns. It was when he saw them that he attempted to manufacture AK47 Rifles and succeeded. He said: “Nobody taught me how to manufacture rifles. “I used to go to scrap dumpsites to get parts to manufacture my rifles. “My rifles work like the Russian AK47 Rifle.

“My pump action rifle doesn’t fire rapidly. :They fire only single shots. “I sell my pump action rifles for N10,000. I sell my AK47 Rifles between N50,000 to N120,000. “I have produced a total number of nine pump action rifles and six AK47 rifles. “I used to buy the pump action and AK47 rifles cartridges from Mallam Yusuf. “He is a fellow hunter. “I also buy magazines from Alhaji Makasuia.”

In Nigeria, it is a criminal offence to manufacture or import guns without approval or license from the government.

Presently, Mamuda is in IRT custody, not just for manufacturing rifles, but also for allegedly selling to bandits.

He said: “I didn’t know that the people I sold rifles to were bandits.

“It was after I was arrested that I found out that some of my buyers were bandits that had been terrorising some parts of Nigeria.” Another suspect, Isiaka Zakaria, 40, also from Bauchi State, was arrested. Zakaria is married with seven children. He dropped out of primary school and went into farming.

He said that he was also a part of a local vigilante group. He said: “I bought four AK47 rifles and six pump action rifles from Mohammed.

“I sold two of the AK 47 rifles to Umaru and one to Abudulahi, who is presently on the run. “I kept one for myself.

“I sold the AK47 rifles to Umaru for N200,000, while Abdulahi bought his for N60,000.

“I distributed the six pump action guns to my vigilante members: Musa, Isama Daki, Alahi Yahaya, Suleiman Mohammed and Saliu, who is now late.”

Another suspect is 45-year-old Umaru Adams, also a farmer. Adams said: “I escort lorries that bring cows to my village.

“I bought the guns because of cattle rustlers. “My friends are losing their cows to bandits and we needed the guns to protect ourselves.”