Proliferation of firearms: Police issue ultimatum
The Nasarawa State Police Command has issued a 30 days ultimatum to persons in possession of illegal firearms to surrender them or risk arrest and prosecution.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Abubakar Sadiq Bello, who announced the ultimatum in Lafia during his monthly media briefing, said that after the expiration of the period of grace, the police command, in conjunction with other sister security agencies, would embark on a special operation to clamp down on persons in possession of firearms illegally and that anybody arrested would face the full wrath of the law.
“Nasarawa State Police Command has observed with dismay the proliferation of firearms in the state and after due consultation with Governor Umaru Tanko AlMakura, a 30 days period of grace, with effect from the date of this announcement, is hereby given to persons in possession of firearms illegally to surrender to the nearest police station or risk arrest and prosecution,” the CP said.
He emphasised that whoever voluntarily surrendered their firearms during the 30 days period would not be arrested but that after the period the police would clamp down and prosecute anyone caught with illegal firearms.
Therefore, he appealed to members of the public to be part of the exercise of making the society safer by giving useful information to the police on manufacturers of and persons in possession of firearms illegally or persons that were buying and selling firearms.
In a related development, the CP said the police had arrested a total of 25 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and other criminals in the last one month.
While parading the suspects in Lafia, CP Bello said that between April and May the command arrested 25 suspected criminals, including 13 armed robbery suspects and kidnappers, five suspects for culpable homicide, three rapists and five suspects for unlawful possession of firearms.
He further revealed that exhibits recovered from the suspects included one AK 47, 12 locally fabricated guns, 36 different types of ammunition, four motorcycles and four vehicles of different make.
The police boss noted that major operations were carried out in some identified criminal hideouts in the state in the first quarter of 2017 which led to the arrest of over 50 notorious armed robbers, kidnappers, rustlers and the recovery of seven assault rifles, locally fabricated guns and ammunition.
“These major operational successes, I believe, accounted for the drop in crime rate within the period under review. We shall continue to adjust our crime fighting strategies with the aim of achieving more success this time around. The emphasis is going to be more on intelligenceled policing, visibility, as well as community-based participation,” he said.