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Philip Nwosu
Soldiers in Lagos have arrested a middle- aged man with a fully loaded pump action gun wrapped in a military camouflage bag and was travelling with same around the Okota area of Lagos.
The man, who was identified as Akingbola Folorunsho, according to the force, claimed to be member of the Nigerian Marine Navy and said he was using the gun for hunting.
The General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Olu Irefin, while parading the suspected gunrunner alongside 10 others whom he said were caught on the streets of Lagos spotting military camouflage uniform when they are not authorized to were such, said a fake Nigerian Navy identity card was also found on Folorunsho.
The 10 persons, including a female were alleged to be using military camouflage to dodge police check in Lagos, have also been using such to commit nefarious acts in Lagos there by bringing the name of the military to disrepute.
General Irefin said: “Today, we have arrested 10 men and a lady who were caught going about in military camouflage and parading themselves as military personnel within the Lagos area.
“These men have been causing mayhem and giving the military bad image and their arrest was in continuation of our effort to sanitize the society to let the world know that most of the illegal activities going on the area are not purely by the military.”
Irefin said one of the arrested persons claimed to be a Lieutenant Colonel when he was accosted by the operatives of the force, but added that ”some of them were dismissed soldiers, some are dismissed naval ratings.
“One has a vehicle that is fully painted in military colour, the vehicle has been impounded. If the vehicle is going to be released, it has to be repainted in normal colour. These are part of the people giving us the bad image.”
