Illegal/Prohibited Arms: Kogi Police Command Recover 457 Guns

The Kogi state police command has recovered a total of 457 guns in the state following the Inspector General of police Ibrahim Idris directive last year to mop up all illegal arms and ammunition in circulation.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Janga displayed the caches of arms to journalists on Thursday at the command headquarters in Lokoja.

He said that the recovery was the result of IGs order on disarmament and recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in the possession of all suspected militias and bandits.

The directive, he said also covered retrival of arms and ammunitions from vigilante groups, neighborhood watch and other groups of individuals bearing prohibited firearms and ammunitions, illegal weapons and lethal devices whether locally fabricated, modified or that can cause harm or injury to persons or cause panic, fear and security breach, breach of peace or cause threat to law and order anywhere in the country.

The commissioner described the exercise as “satisfactory” in view of the catches recovered.

“I am pleased to inform you that the ongoing exercise which has been carried out by the officers of the command, particularly the special Anti-robbery squad, SARS, led by DSP Babagana Bukar, with vigour, dedication, utmost professionalism and passion, tremendous success have been recorded from different parts of the state” Janga said.

A breakdown of the arms recovered showed that 21 Ak47 rifles were recovered.

Also, 14 pump Action guns, 8 double barrel guns 69 single barrel and 166 Dane guns were recovered.

A total of 134 locally made pistol, 40 pistols,1 G3 and 4 Barrett’s pistols were among the weapons recovered.

The commissioner also paraded two armed robbery suspects, Onalo Okiye and Abu Adamu who allegedly shot a woman and her two children on their faces.

The victim identified as Mrs. Ester Inus was robbed of N20, 000. According to him, “on the 6th April at about 20:00 hours to 21:30 hours respectively, some armed men invaded the houses of one Mrs. Ester Inus a police woman and Mr. Moses both of along Opachana road, Ajaka in Igalamela/Odolu local government area and fired the victims and the children on their face, head and back respectively and carted away their phones and the sum of 20, 000.

He explained that while the neighbours raised alarm and one of the suspects Onalo was arrested and handed over to the police.

He said that further investigation led to the arrest of one Abu Adamu who was the one that fired at the woman police who on her bed at the time.

The commissioner said effort was on to track down the fleeing suspects. 

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