Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Submit illegal firearms or face prosecution, Oyo Police warns residents

By Sam Oluwalana, Ibadan
13 March 2018   |   4:10 pm
The Oyo state Police command has warned residents who are in possession of illegal firearms to submit them to the Police Command within 21 days, or face prosecution and possible jail terms. According to a statement by the Command's Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, SP, this directive is a sequel to the same handed down…

The Oyo state Police command has warned residents who are in possession of illegal firearms to submit them to the Police Command within 21 days, or face prosecution and possible jail terms.

According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, SP, this directive is a sequel to the same handed down to all the police formations in the country, by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

He enjoined the public to support men of the Police in its bid to mop up all illegal firearms in circulation, by reporting any member of the public in possession of the prohibited firearms.

The statement reads: “Consequent upon the recent directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim K. Idris that all State Commissioners of Police should embark on immediate mop-up and recovery of all prohibited firearms and ammunition in wrong hands, the Oyo State Police Command implores members of the public, individuals or group, who have in their possession prohibited firearms and other illegal firearms and ammunition to submit

same to the nearest police station for inspection within twenty-one days beginning from the day of this publication.

“Anyone found with prohibited firearms/ammunition after the expiration of the twenty-one days will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

The Police Spokesman listed the particular firearms been banned, as pump action guns, rocket weapons and others, while also stating that all security agencies recognized by the Federal Government are excluded from the public directive.

“For the avoidance of doubt, such prohibited firearms include: pump action guns, artillery, apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusing projectile, rocket weapons, bombs and grenades, machine guns and machine pistols, military rifles; namely, those of caliber 7.62mm, 9mm, 300 inches, revolvers and pistols whether rifled or unrifled (including flint-lock pistols and cap pistols) and any other firearms or lethal weapons fabricated to kill.

“This order, however, excludes statutory Security Agencies recognized (in a gazette) by the Federal Government of Nigeria to bear firearms of specified category.”

Ajisebutu also explained that the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude has inaugurated a task force that enforce compliance with the directives.

“The general public is further informed that a Police Joint Task Force/Enforcement team has been set up by the Commissioner of Police to ensure total enforcement of this order.

“Members of the public are advised to report anyone found with the above mentioned prohibited firearms to the Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Area Commanders, DPOs, through their numbers earlier given out or call the Control Room No. 08081768614.”

In this article

0 Comments