Police go tough on illegal arms owners
By Michael Ofulue
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In its determination to ensure that illegally acquired arms and ammunitions that are in wrong hands in the state are mopped up, the Ondo State Police Command has vowed to arrest and prosecute anybody caught with such weapons .
To this end, the command said it has mapped out strategies that would help retrieve all illegally acquired guns just as he warned those who were yet to submit their guns to do so before the hands of the law caught up with them.
Illegally acquired guns were freely used by suspected thugs during the just concluded House Assembly elections in Oba-Akoko in Akoko Southwest local government area of the state, during which two persons lost their lives in the process of sporadic shootings by the hoodlums who wanted to snatch ballot boxes.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Femi Joseph, who disclosed this to The Hope Metro, said it has become necessary for the police to retrieve all unauthorised guns that are in custody of wrong hands.
He explained that the command had since stopped issuance of licence to private individuals that own guns, adding that the measures which the command has adopted in retrieving the guns will not be made known to the public.
He assured that those who are still using unauthorised weapons to cause and threaten the existing peace would soon be apprehended in no distant time.
His words, “We have taken proactive measures to retrieve illegally acquired guns, but we will not disclose our strategy because of security reasons.
“We have earlier appealed to those who have these weapons in their possession to quickly submit them to the nearest police station, but some of them who are deviants have refused to yield to the appeal.
“Henceforth, anybody, irrespective of how highly placed, that is caught with illegal arms or ammunition will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
“We will not relent in our efforts to ensure that all illegal guns are mopped out for the overall interest of peace and security of the law abiding citizens.
“We are equally calling on the general public to assist the police with useful information that would help to arrest those who have unauthorised guns in their possession, “he stated.
The police spokesman, however, said the police, which is saddled with the duties of maintaining law and order in the society, will continue to do its utmost best in ensuring sustainable peace, adding that the job of effective crime prevention, detection and control is for all and sundry and not for the police alone.
