CITY NEWS Lagos police to raid houses for I remain Olukere of Ikere – Obasoyin illegal arms, prohibited items
The Lagos State Police Command has begun move to mop up illegal firearms and prohibited items in circulation in and around the state.
Towards this end, the state Commissioner of Police Edgal Imohimi has inaugurated a committee to carry out the task.
The committee is headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations, Muhammad Ali Ari with nine other senior officers as members.
The team is charged with the responsibility of mopping up all prohibited firearms in and around Lagos State, the state police Public Relations Officer, ASP Chike Otti confirmed to our correspondent yesterday.
The prohibited firearms include all firearms with slide action mechanism, pump action rifles of all categories, military rifles, pistols and revolvers, machine guns, rocket launchers, projectile bombs and grenades.
It was learnt that the Committee held its first meeting immediately after its inauguration at the Police Headquarters Ikeja.
At the end their deliberation, it was declared that with effect from 8th March, 2018, three weeks grace period is given to all members of the public who have illegal and prohibited firearms to submit such firearms to the nearest Police Station or Area Command office.
The Committee is empowered to enter into any house or premises based on credible intelligence with a duly signed search warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction, in search and recovery of the aforementioned weapon types.
The CP urged members of the public in possession of Prohibited and illegally acquired firearms to take advantage of the three-week grace period to turn in their firearms or risk being arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the Firearms Act of 2004. The Olukere of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin, yesterday punctured the claim of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers that he should not be addressed as a king since he was yet to be recognized as such by the state government.
Olukere, while speaking with reporters in his palace in IkereEkiti on Sunday said he remains an Oba since he was made so by his community under which he derives his sovereignty and not from the Council.
He said it was wrong for the Council to issue a statement and address newsmen to say that he should not be addressed as an Oba when a panel set up by the body on his status was yet to release its report.
The Chairman of the Council of Obas, the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju, has issued a statement last Thursday where he directed the Olukere to stop being addressed as such since he was yet to be recognized as one by the state government.
But Obasoyin described the latest drama playing out as “the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob”, adding that nothing can obliterate the institution of Olukere which he said has been in existence for ages.
His words: “I was not the person that made Olukere an Oba; before I was born, Olukere had been known as an Oba in the whole of Yoruba land even though he had not gotten letter of recognition from the government. Writing to the Council to get recognition from the government does not indicate that the Olukere does not exist or that it has nothing to do with the institution of that obaship.”