Personnel of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a multi-security task force maintaining peace and harmony in Plateau and some parts of Bauchi, have recovered 517 small arms and light weapons from criminal elements within a short period.
The OPSH explained that within the said period, out of the 517 arms and weapons recovered, there were 40 automatic weapons and 477 locally fabricated arms, saying that the automatic weapons include; 27×Ak 47 rifles, 1×FN rifles, 2×Barretta rifles, 3×G3, 6×Beretta pistol, 1 Harris Burg pistol and 1× SMG.
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“Also recovered were locally fabricated weapons comprised of 183×rifles, 163× Dane Guns, 102 pistols and 19 SMG. Others include; 6× single Barrel Gun and 1×pump Action, ” the OPSH added.
Major General Ibrahim Ali, the Commander of the Operation who doubles as the general officer commanding 3 Division, disclosed this yesterday during the handover of the small arms and light weapons recovered to the North Central Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Major General Hamza Bature, at the headquarters of the operation, in Jos.
According to the commander, “the FG had established the Centre in May 2021, in its determination to mitigate the senseless bloodletting and insecurity occasioned by the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in circulation within our various communities and societies.
“The intent of the FG is to mopping out of all illicit SALW from the Nigerian society in order to curtail the undue proliferation of such weapons in the country. As such the leadership and troops of Safe Haven have been employing both kinetic and known kinetic approaches at community, local government as well as state levels to ensure that the mandate of the Operation is achieved.
“In our kinetic efforts, we have neutralized numerous bandits, arrested suspects and prosecuted those culpable in finning embers of crisis in our area of Operation, ” he added.
Reacting to the development, the coordinator of the centre, urged the OPSH to step up the tied to mopping more illicit weapons out of the society as the country moved into another round of elections
He further appreciated the command for the good job done and wished for more success in their future operations.
