In response to the directive of Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim K. Idris, instructing state police commissioners across the country to retrieve illegally acquired fire arms from individuals in their respective commands, the Kano state police command has recovered 60 prohibited and illegally acquired fire arms and ammunitions from individuals across the 44 local government areas of the state.
Kano State Police Commissioner Mr. Rabi’u Yusuf told reporters that some of the weapons were recovered from criminals while others were voluntarily handed over by their owners to the police.
The rifles recovered were one Sniper rifle, 25 AK47, 1 G3, 2 Lar combat rifles, 23 locally-made and assorted pistols among others.
Parading the recovered fire arms to journalists at the state police command yesterday, Yusuf warned members of the public yet to surrender illegally and prohibited fire arms and ammunitions in their custody to do so, emphasising that the police would soon embark on house-to-house search for the illegal weapons.
“You can recall on 21st January, 2018 the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim K. Idris addressed command CPs on the issue of illegally acquired and prohibited fire arms in the country, on that day he gave us the marching order that we should come down to our various commands to mop-up illegally acquired and prohibited fire arms.
“Base on that directive, a task force I constituted worked assiduously to recover 37 assorted arms, 23 pistols, 127 cartridges, 109 3mm live ammunition, and 86 rounds of 0.3mm live ammunition. One specially constructed magnum bow that uses arrow was also recovered from hoodlums” the CP added.
“I hereby urge members of the public, particularly those in Kano that are yet to relinquish illegally acquired or prohibited fire arms to do so without further delay because as soon as we finished showcasing these arms the task force will go after those people that are yet to surrender or to voluntarily surrender their arms and ammunitions and if apprehended definitely we are going to prosecute them” Rabi’u said.
He added that after the exercise the police command will deploy its personnel to various entry points to the state checkmate further influx of illegal fire arms and ammunition.
He said the operation is partly connected to the security build-up preparatory for a peaceful conduct of 2019 general elections.
“We want to avoid the situation whereby political thugs would be fully armed in order to unleash terror on the good citizens of this country; that’s why we are now doing this exercise to ensure that by the time we get to 2019 general elections at least most of the illegally acquired arms and this prohibited fire arms must have been moped out” the CP said.