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Raphael Ede, Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command has set up a police Joint Task-Force to mop-up illegal fire arms and ammunition in the state to ensure that these light weapons do not end in wrong hands.
This step was in line with the directives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to state commands to mop-up illegal arms in their various states, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Danmallam said.
Briefing newsmen, on Monday, Danmallam said the team to carry out the task would be headed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations, Mr. Frank Idu.
Danmallam also said that the joint departmental task-force would comprise of personnel from State and Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department and the mobile police units.
“The task-force will ensure the mop-up of all illegal fire arms and ammunition in the state as well as stop all militia groups.
“The task-force will ensure that everybody holding illegal fire arms and ammunition will be prosecuted,’’ he said.
The commissioner, however, urged all persons with fire arms and ammunition to re-verify and re-validate them in the command within the next two weeks.
He warned that anyone caught with illegal fire arms and ammunition without due authorization would henceforth be prosecuted according to the relevant laws of the country.
“If you have fire arms and ammunition with expired licence or not duly registered; you must re-verify and re-validate at the command now,’’ he said.
He said that the task-force enforcement would be total; as the command want members of the public to give information on people holding such illegal fire arms and ammunition to the police.
“Everybody should assist the police and command on this issue; members of the public and especially journalists would do well to give us intelligence information,’’ he said.
While fielding questions from the newsmen on the rumours of herdsmen attacks in some parts of Enugu, Danmallam said the rumour is fake and malicious.
He said that Enugu State has no militia group till now and the state has remained very peaceful for over two years and it would remain so.
