Police Recover 9,657 Illegal Firearms Nationwide
Nigeria Police said Friday that it had recovered a total of 9,657 illegal firearms and 26994 illegal ammunition in possession of suspected militias, bandits, armed herdsmen and farmers, vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch and other groups and individuals in the country.
The recovery, the police explained, was in the mope up exercise earlier directed by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Police Force Public Relations Officer,Jimoh Moshood, who disclosed this in a statement, said the police also recovered a cash sum of $470,519,889.10) belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TSA.
Mr Moshood, in the statement, also revealed that the Force equally recovered the sum of NGN8,807,264,834.96 belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT, that was not remitted to TSA Account of the Federal Government just as he said the sum of 114,290,000.00 was recovered in relation to the December 10th, 2016, National And State Assembly Re-Run Elections in Rivers State by 23 INEC electoral officials.
According to him, 6, 527 and 3, 130 illegal firearms were recovered in first and second batches of the mope up exercises respectively, explaining that 14, 809 and 12, 185 ammunition were also recovered during the period began on 21 April, 2018.
The categories of the prohibited firearms and ammunition, specified under Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 Fire Arms Act which were seized by the police during the mope up exercises, he explained, included: Artillery; apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusing projectile; rocket weapons; bombs and grenades and Machine-Guns and Machine-Pistols Others he said were military rifles, namely; those of calibers 7.62mm, 9mm, .300 inches; evolvers and Pistols whether rifled or unrifled (including flint-lock pistols and cap pistols; firearms such as pump action gun of all categories and any other firearms/lethal weapons fabricated to kill ”
This operation which is still ongoing among other purposes, is aimed at the full enforcement of the Firearms Act, mopping-up and recovery of all prohibited firearms and illegally acquired weapons and will enable the Nigeria Police Force deal decisively with herders/farmers clashes, Kidnappings, armed robbery, cattle rustling, millitancy and terrorism etc,” he said.
The statement further read:”On assumption of office, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim, created Special Units to handle high profile cases including terrorism, cyber and high-tech crimes, some of which includes the IGP Monitoring Unit, Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism.
“As a result of these efforts, the Nigeria Police Force recovered the following monetary and non-monetary assets for the Federal Government. “Recovery of cash items: The sum of Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cent ($470,519,889.10) belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TSA.lp “The sum of Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Seven Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Four Naira, Ninety Six Kobo (NGN8,807,264,834.96) monies belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT, that was not remitted to TSA Account of the Federal Government was also recovered. ”
The Sum of One Hundred and Fourteen Million, Two Hundred And Ninety Thousand Naira, (NGN 114,290,000.00) in relation to the December 10th, 2016, National And State Assembly Re-Run Elections in Rivers State Of Nigeria was recovered from twenty-three (23) INEC Electoral officials.
“Recovery of non-cash items :”The Nigeria Police Force in the fight against Economic Sabotage and pipeline vandalism related crimes recovered two (2) Vessels, seven (7) Speed Boats, eight-three (83) Trucks, twenty-five assorted Cars including Jeeps, thirty-six (36) Buses, twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles, five Speed Boat engines and thirty-eight (38) pumping/Drilling Machines and Generators.
