Anambra Vigilance Group (AVG) said it has planned to recover illegal firearms from unlicensed individuals or groups in the state to reduce crimes and other security threats.
Director, Media and Publicity of AVG, Chief Nweke Nweke, disclosed this weekend, while speaking with reporters.
He explained that the move was in line with their discoveries that some hoodlums operating in the state acquired firearms illegally.
Nweke said:”AVG with the support of the police and other security teams, will embark on mop-up action geared towards identifying legal and illegal possessors of firearms with a view to checkmating their uses and recovering them from illegal users.”
He solicited public support to make it easy to identify users of firearms such as pump-action, which according to him, was prohibited from non-AVG members with an exception of private security guards either registered with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) or known to the state government.
“Our governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is not relenting on his campaign promises to make Anambra State liveable and prosperous.
“We are solidly behind the administration’s resolve to secure the environment for investors, residents and others. We will wipe out all the hoodlums constituting security threats in the state.
“Only the AVG is allowed to bear firearms like pump actions in Anambra State. It is a prohibited device but you can see some unidentifiable individuals and groups using them…
“It has been discovered that most of these hoodlums who are causing security challenges in the state and all over Nigeria acquired firearms illegally.
“We are calling on the public to assist the security with relevant information. We are also calling on individuals or groups with genuine reasons to possess arms to identify with relevant authorities for better,” Nweke said.