Police showcase arms mop-up in state commands

Though possession of arms and ammunition is restricted to security operatives and a few licensed individuals, proliferation of the same in Nigeria has raised serious concern.

The rate at which criminals are armed with guns, acquired from unknown sources, has upped crimes within the society so much that, unlike in the past when crimes were perpetrated with non lethal weapons, some of the arms used in perpetrating crimes by the hoodlums nowadays are as sophisticated, sometimes more, as the ones being used by security operatives.

The trend, which became worrisome to the Nigeria Police Force, had rently made the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to give the directive that police commands in the country should mop up arms and ammunition that were owned by individuals or acquired by criminals to terrorise innocent citizens within 21 days.

Information gathered by Saturday Tribune indicated that efforts of the state commands yielded results, as a huge number of arms have been mopped up from the society as the three weeks ultimatum lapsed.

It was learnt that while some of the weapons were recovered from suspected criminals arrested, others were surrendered by those who had either acquired them illegally or those who obtained licences for them, but which the government decided to withdraw for the time being.

For instance, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Ahmed Iliyasu, speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, told Saturday Tribune that his command’s efforts at mopping up arms and ammunition illegally acquired, as directed by the Inspector General of Police, have yielded results, with the recovery of 1,178 weapons of different calibers and 2,226 ammunition.

The police commissioner said that some of the arms and ammunition were recovered from criminal gangs of armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists, while others were brought by law abiding citizens in compliance with the IGP’s order.

He listed the mopped-up arms and ammunition to include 24 AK-47 rifles, 66 Pump-Action guns, 1,088 single and double barrel guns, 1,025 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, as well as 1,241 rounds of live cartridges.

Iliyasu, who also paraded some suspected criminals during the press briefing, disclosed that in a follow-up to the operation targeted at dislodging kidnappers in the state, a suspected member of a kidnap gang terrorizing the state, one Usman, was arrested on March 21 with gunshot injury in a hideout.

He recalled that six members of the suspect’s gang were killed about 10 days ago, during a gun battle with the operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) in a forest at Remo North Local Government.

He added that the F-SARS operatives had been combing the forest in search of the remaining gang members who might have escaped with gunshot injuries.

Weapons recovered from the suspect included two AK-47 rifles, 25 rounds 7.62mm live ammunition, a locally-made double-barrelled pistol, a locally-made single-barreled pistol, 35 rounds of large sized live cartridges, six rounds of small sized live cartridges, two cutlasses and assorted charms.

Also in Oyo State, the police recovered 178 firearms and 840 ammunition during the period of the mop-up of prohibited and illegal firearms in circulation, while five more members of an armed robbery/kidnap gang terrorizing the people of Igbeti, Igboho and other parts of Oke-Ogun area of the state were arrested following relentless clampdown on suspected criminals by the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Speaking while displaying the recovered firearms to journalists at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, said the recovered firearms and ammunition was sequel to the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, who directed all states Commissioners of Police and their supervising Assistant Inspector Generals of Police in charge of the 12 zones to immediately embark on the mopping up and recovery of firearms in circulation.

“In total compliance with that directive, the Oyo State Command embarked on the aggressive mop-up and recovery of the aforesaid arms, including ammunition.

“While some of the firearms and ammunition were recovered during the mop-up exercise, others were recovered from armed bandits during the period.

“A total of 29 firearms and 31 live ammunition were recovered during the mop-up exercise from people who willing submitted them to the police, while a total of 149 firearms and 709 rounds of ammunition were recovered from armed bandits during the period,” Odude said.

• Illegal firearms: Enugu Police recover 148 arms, 206 cartridges

Speaking further, the police boss said upon the expiration of the period of grace given to gun owners to submit their weapons, the police would start prosecuting those in possession of firearms, even if they are duly licensed by the police.

“If we receive any information that there is a firearm in a particular house, the police would obtain a search warrant from court to search the house, and when any firearm is found, then the owner would be prosecuted.”

On the next step from police on those permitted to own firearms, the state police boss said he was not in a position to say what would happen to the legal firearms.

He said the command’s assignment was to recover weapons following the directive of the Inspector General of Police.

“In fact, through the directive, no one is permitted to own any firearm, whether such is licensed or not,” Odude said.

However, on the latest arrest of five armed robbery/kidnap gang terrorising residents of Oke-Ogun area, the police boss said the command would not rest on its oars until the state was completely rid of armed bandits.

In Osun State Police command, no fewer than 86 illegal assorted firearms and 88 live cartridges have been recovered from unauthorised persons in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye explained that the recovered firearms included AK 47 rifles, pump action rifles and other assorted guns, adding that his command would not relent in its commitment to rid the state of criminals and other undesirable elements, who might pose threats to peace and tranquility in the state.

While contending that some the illicit firearms were surrendered by some individuals, Adeoye maintained that his command recovered others through its mop up operations, stressing that the ultimatum given by the Inspector General of Police had expired but “we have recovered few as a result of that ultimatum given.”

“For now we have the total number of 86 assorted firearms and 88 unexpended cartridges. The recovery of the firearms is a continuous process and whosever that is found to be in possession of any illegally acquired firearms will be dealt with in accordance of the law.

In Enugu State, 148 arms and 206 cartridges were said to have been recovered within a month.

Briefing newsmen in Enugu on the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed DanMallam, while displaying the various arms and cartridges recovered, noted that the arms and cartridges were recovered through a detailed “stop and search” operations within the state.

DanMallam further disclosed that “only one gentleman had come over two days ago to surrender his arm. I also use this opportunity to advise those still holding back their illegal arms and ammunition to surrender it to the command.”

“So, we are using this opportunity to appeal to the members of the public to pass necessary information to the police if they come in contact with anybody who is in possession of any form of firearm.

“We have few instances where the owners willingly surrender the arms but majority of those firearms were recovered from criminals who are undergoing prosecution.

Adeoye further appealed to those in possession of prohibited and unlicensed firearms to surrender them, saying the security agency would still receive it from them before it is too late.

He also implored those who obtained licences for their firearms not to deploy it for illegal use, affirming that the police would not hesitate to take appropriate actions within the ambit of the law to deal with such individuals.

In Enugu State, 148 arms and 206 cartridges were said to have been recovered within a month.

Briefing newsmen in Enugu on the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed DanMallam, while displaying the various arms and cartridges recovered, noted that the arms and cartridges were recovered through a detailed “stop and search” operations within the state.

DanMallam further disclosed that “only one gentleman had come over two days ago to surrender his arm. I also use this opportunity to advise those still holding back their illegal arms and ammunition to surrender it to the command.”

According to Danmallam, the total mop-up of all illegal arms and cartridges would check the incident of terrorism, insurgency, herders/farmers clashes, militancy, oil bunkering and violent conflicts in the country.

Arms recovered included 10 AK-47 rifles, 30 pump action guns, 33 locally-made single barrel pistols, 36 locally-made double barrel pistols.

Others were three revolver locally-made cut-to-size short guns, 11 Beretta pistol and 25 locally-made single-barrel long guns.

Edo State Police Command also recovered 136 guns and 167 live cartridges, according to the state police commissioner, Johnson Kokumo.

Kokumo stated during that the guns and live cartridges were recovered during the mop-up exercise on arms and ammunition.