Nigeria Police Begin Mop-up Of Prohibited Firearms

The Inspector General of Police in Nigeria, Mr Solomon Arase, has directed all Commissioners of Police in State Commands and the Federal Capital Territory to begin mop-up of prohibited firearms within their Areas Of Responsibility.

Mr Erase gave the order on Tuesday to douse concerns about the increasing proliferation and engagement of prohibited firearms that threaten security in parts of Nigeria.

The decision is part of initiatives aimed at ensuring adequate protection of lives and property of the citizens.

Prohibited Firearms

A statement by the spokesman for the police, Olabisi Kolawole, listed prohibited firearms under the Firearms Act to include Artillery, Apparatus for the discharge of any explosives or gas-diffusing projectile, Revolvers and Pistols, Machine guns and Machine Pistols, Rocket Weapons and Military rifles including those with calibre 7.62mm, 9mm, .300 inches and .303inches.

The Police is also asking persons in possession of non-prohibited firearms to immediately obtain or renew their licenses before July, 2016 by following the process on the requisite web link of the Nigeria Police Central Information Centre (NCIS) on www.npf.gov.ng.

Mr Arase further emphasised that the intelligence and operational assets of the Force would be deployed to fish out, arrest and bring to justice any person who failed to voluntarily surrender prohibited firearms in his/her possession or who failed to obtain/renew requisite licenses for non-prohibited firearms.

“Such modalities shall include a reward system for informants whose information shall lead to the location and recovery of such weapons and arrest of the person in whose custody such illegal firearms are recovered,” the statement further read.

The police boss also called on all citizens to sustain their cooperation with the Nigeria Police Force in the task of keeping the country safe while assuring them that the Force would continue to diligently work towards eliminating any threat to internal security.

He further assured Nigerians of the police’s commitment to their security.

The arms mop-up is coming at a period that Nigeria is waging a war against a jihadist group, Boko Haram, to push them out of the nation’s northeast.

The nation is also making efforts to contain increasing attacks on farmers and communities by armed herdsmen.

Mr Arase had told Channels Television that the herdsmen had penetrated the nation from the northeast borders of the nation, which he said could not be manned because they were numerous.

The police boss said that the crisis in Libya, Mali and some other African nations had led to the proliferation of arms.