AS the ultimatum of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris on mop-up, seizure and recovery of illegal and prohibited firearms and ammunition from unauthorised persons expires this weekend, the Commissioner of Police in Charge of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command, Sadiq Abubakar Saudiq on Wednesday disclosed that the Command’s Enforcement Team has made a huge success in compliance with the directive based on the volumes of firearms turned in by the residents.
The Commisioner of Police disclosed to news men in Abuja yesterday while parading 40 suspects arrested for various criminal offences within the Nation’s Federal Capital Territory and environs.
According to him, the Taskforce has recovered a total number of 78 guns and 222 live cartridges that were voluntarily submitted”.
He stated that most of the firearms were voluntarily surrendered to the Command Headquarters by their owners following a robust Media campaign and meetings with stakeholders in the five Area Commands of the FCT.
The Police Chief, however, announced that immediately after the expiration of the ultimatum, the Command would commence the mop-up exercise which would include raids, cordon-and-search of premises or building or hideouts where these illegal firearms were reasonably suspected to be kept
According to him, “as such, any individual or group of persons found in possession of any prohibited firearms henceforth will be arrested and prosecuted.
In a related development, the CP paraded 40 suspected criminals arrested in the various locations within the metropolis for difference offences
Exhibits recovered from the suspects, according to him include, 11 stolen vehicles, three cult lasses, Eight fabricated locally made pistols, Nine ammunition, Nine units of Television sets, one desktop monitor, thee knives, and one toy gun among others.
He assured that the suspects would be charged to Court after the completion of the ongoing investigation with a warning to other criminals to relocate from the command in their own interest
and then