The Nation Newspaper

Tag: arms

  • Police arrest suspects with Ak47, other arms on East-West road

    Police arrest suspects with Ak47, other arms on East-West road

    The Police in Bayelsa State have arrested two suspects in possession of an AK47 rifle, with 19 rounds of live ammunition, an English-made double barrel pump action and a hand saw along the East-West road.
    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Asinim Butswat, said on Wednesday that synergy between the police and other security agencies led to the arrest during a joint patrol.
    Explaining further, he said: “A team of Narcotics Operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency intercepted a Toyota Previa Bus, along the East-West Road, on 5th December 2017 at about 0700hrs.”
    “A diligent search on the occupants led to the arrest of one Salvation Ebitimi ‘m’ 29 yrs, from Bolou- Angiama, Patani, Delta State and one Edafe Josiah ‘m’ 26 yrs from Afise Road, Ughelli who were in possession of an AK 47 Riffle with 19 rounds of live .9mm ammunition, one English Made Double Barrel Pump Action and a Hand saw”.
    He noted that investigations were ongoing to identify the cohorts of the suspects and apprehend them.
    He also said during a stop and search operation following the Safer Highway Patrol 008, a bag containing 50 live cartridges were retrieved from two suspects.
    “During a routine stop and search operations, the police flagged down a motorcycle along Amassoma Road, Yenagoa.
    “The rider refused to stop, they were chased by the policemen and in the process they dropped a bag containing 50 live cartridges and escaped. Efforts have been intensified to arrest them.”

  • Security selling arms to criminals!

    •Time to streamline hiring of security personnel and to monitor arms meant to secure the nation

    The culture of impunity that led to the change of government in 2015 seems to be very much in place in the country’s security sector. At a public hearing of the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Customs and Excise and National Intelligence on Influx of Small Arms into the country, the Director of Operations of Department of State Security (DSS), Godwin Etang, revealed that many individuals in the military and other security agencies are in the habit of selling arms to criminals.

    Such acts encourage various forms of criminality—armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, assassination, etc., and have the potential to destabilise the population that the arms were provided to protect. If not properly addressed, such criminality has the tendency to cause further erosion of trust between citizens and security agents.

    The DSS’ director of operations further revealed that the agency “conducted more than 27 operations and arrested more than 30 persons involved in the supply of arms and ammunition and some of them are serving security men.” He added that the reason for this is that “some agencies have over a period of time recruited people who were before cultists and armed robbers and are now wearing uniforms.”

    We view the news about this criminal habit of persons paid to secure the state and its citizens as alarming, to say the least. Indeed, it is shocking that citizens provided with arms to secure life and property in the country feel at ease to turn legal arms in their custody into illegal arms in the hands of criminal elements. If such revelation had come from other sources like the media, and not from the DSS, many partisan citizens could have taken it to be an attempt to smear the character of men in uniform.

    We call on the Federal Government, to which all security agencies are responsible, to do the needful immediately, given the danger inherent in such heinous acts.

    In the context of illegal transfer of arms and ammunition to people who should not have access to them, by persons who are paid to hold such arms in trust, any wonder that Boko Haram has existed for years, or that kidnapping has been on the rise? Any wonder that violent herdsmen from within and outside the country carry combat weapons such as AK-47 to kill or harass innocent farmers? And is the mushrooming of militancy in different parts of the country surprising, or that there is growing disaffection between citizens and security personnel?

    We consider it ironical that at a time that sanity should have returned to all arms of government, many citizens in sensitive agencies still find the environment conducive to impunity, two years into a regime of anti-corruption war. We ask the Federal Government to give the revelations by the DSS serious and immediate attention by ensuring, in the short-run, speedy trial of individuals that have been involved in the sale of arms to criminals. And in the long-run, there is a need for public inquiry into existing regulations and practices guiding hiring of security personnel; management of materials sensitive to national security; and post-severance access to official arms  and ammunition by  security personnel.

    We commend the DSS for not choosing to cover up such sabotage of the country’s security by bad eggs in the security service. We, however, call on the service to do more investigation on the abuse of trust on the part of serving personnel in the entire security sector. With this kind of news, the ministers of defence and internal affairs have a challenge requiring immediate action. Citizens have a right to believe that those paid to secure them are not criminals in uniform.

  • Bad eggs in security services selling arms, says DSS

    Bad eggs in security services selling arms, says DSS

    •’Only 97 borders manned out of 1,100’

    Some bad eggs in the armed forces and security agencies are selling arms and worsening the country’s security challenges, Department of State Services (DSS) Director of Operations Godwin  Eteng has said.

    Eteng told the House of Representatives joint Committee on Customs and Excise and National Intelligence investigating the “frightening influx of small arms and light weapons into the country”.

    “Some agencies have over a period of time recruited people who were before cultists and armed robbers and are now wearing uniforms.

    “And the question is: are we doing enough checks on our people who were recruited into security services?

    “Like we had a situation where in one of the armories belonging to one of the armed forces, how many pistols just got missing with quantities of ammunition and all the pistols were new.

    “In the armoury, no place was broken into, but the weapons were missing. And we’re interested in knowing what happened.”

    Eteng said some states were not helping matters on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

    He named Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba and Plateau as states acting as conduits for small arms and light weapons, which were being used to fuel ethnic crises in some regions.

    His said: “When we did our studies, we discovered that three-quarter of the arms used to cause the crisis in Southern Kaduna, Zamfara and Plateau states are coming from the following states: Nassarawa, Benue, Taraba and Plateau states.

    “We found out that if you can carry out serious operations to affect the supplies, which are coming from these areas, it will seriously limit part of what is happening there.”

    Eteng said in the last one and a half months, the DSS “conducted more than 27 operations and arrested more than 30 persons involved in the supply of arms and ammunition and some of them are serving security men”.

    He revealed that seven tactical teams were conducting the operation to apprehend culprits associated with the nefarious act. The operation, Eteng said, is ongoing.

    The DSS director said communal clashes, terrorism, kidnapping, herdsmen/ farmers clashes, political thuggery, militancy, cultism and criminal gangs combine to create a constant demand for arms in the country.

    Herdsmen from Senegal, Gambia and especially Central Africa come into the country through illegal borders carrying AK 47 rifles, Eteng said.

    According to him, targeted legislations on prohibited firearms, more extensive vetting of those recruited into the security agencies, release of funds for logistics for border patrol personnel, electronic manning and deployment of cameras at borders, review of crisis management at local government levels will reduce the trend.

    A Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Damgaiadinga Aminu Abubakar, who represented the Comptroller- General of Customs, Hameed Ali, said there were 1,100 illegal border areas. Only 97 are approved border posts.  Abubakar lamented the dearth of equipment to curtail the flow of weapons into the country.

    He said 2,671 pump action rifles had been seized from January 2017 to date. Abubakar said the Customs personnel found culpable in the import of 661 pump action rifles had been dismissed from service and handed over to the DSS for prosecution.

    According to him, lack of operational vehicles, fast moving boats, cutting-edge technology and advanced scanning machines at airports, seaports and border points are limiting the effectiveness of the service.

    Besides, there is inadequate welfare for personnel, with some living in deplorable conditions. According to him, hostilities by the border communities form part of the service’s problem.

    Abubakar spoke of the need for more funds to be voted for security agencies in a timely manner to allow for operational activities.

    To chairman of the committee Biodun Faleke (APC Lagos), however, took the DSS to task over vigilance groups armed by state governments with pump action rifles.

    According to him, the DSS should be more proactive on saving citizens from the abuse of arms by governors and ensure that whatever arms procured are properly acquired to avoid abuse.

    The House had on Wednesday, September 27 mandated its committees on Customs and Excise to invite the Nigeria Customs Service and DSS to brief the House on comprehensive plans to rid the country of the menace of small arms and light weapons.

  • Amnesty: Over 400 militants to surrender arms in Ondo

    Amnesty: Over 400 militants to surrender arms in Ondo

    Over 400 members of a militant group in Ondo State, the United Sea Wolf Avengers, have announced plans to surrender their arms to the Federal Government.

    The group made the announcement in a statement yesterday in Lagos by its leader, “General” Deji Ehinmowo and General Secretary “General” Akinfemi Raymond.

    The Ondo State government, on October 23, announced that the Federal Government would, on November 9, incorporate ex-militants in the  state willing to surrender their arms, into the Amnesty programme.

    The group said its over 400 members from five camps would use the second phase of the Amnesty programme to surrender their arms.

    The statement said: “We want to appeal to the Armed Forces and other security agents not to compromise standard in the coming Amnesty programme, scheduled for November 9 in Ondo State.

    “During the first phase of the Amnesty in 2009, ‘General’ Deji Ehinmowo, leader of United Sea Wolf Avengers, was served a letter, dated July 16, 2009 …by the Federal Government on the need for his camp to embrace Amnesty.

    “He then insisted that using Amnesty proclamation as an avenue to purchase arms for political thugs would not be accepted.

    “We are ready and prepared to cooperate with the Federal Government to ensure that the programme achieves its desired results.

    “Four hundred militants from five camps under us have dissociated themselves from the planned vandalism of pipeline in Niger Delta.

    “We are ready to dialogue with the Federal Government now.”

     

  • Hundreds renounce cultism, surrender arms at Ikorodu

    Hundreds renounce cultism, surrender arms at Ikorodu

    Hundreds of youths yesterday renounced their membership of cult groups and surrendered their arms and ammunition to the police.

    The repentant cultists between ages 17 and 35 said they had turned a new leaf and wanted peace and stability in Ikorodu.

    They were received by the Chairman, Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Salisu Jimoh, who was commemorating his 100 days in office.

    The weapons including AK47 rifles, locally made guns, ammunition, cutlasses and axes were handed over to acting Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal.

    Edgal, who directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ijede to begin profiling them, said renunciation was the first step to their reintegration.

    Regretting his involvement in cult war, Olanrewaju Adesoye said he used to be a thug to notorious land grabbers, who masterminded various communal land disputes.

    He said: “I was the number one man of Eiye. Cultism started from power tussle over boundary. But the crisis that followed was not what we bargained for. My appreciation goes to the Local Government Chairman, who pioneered this move. We have made up our minds to denounce our membership for long but we were afraid of being arrested.”

    Another ex-cultist, Abdulrazeez Densi, who said he was the leader of KK cult group, said he used to live in fear and uncertainty.

    Densi said: “I decided to denounce my membership because of the safety of my life and those of members of my community. It was mainly because of the crisis that was brewing as a result of cult-related activities. I want peace to reign in my community.”

  • Trial of suspected pirates ‘caught with arms, ammunition’ begins

    The trial of seven suspected pirates who were allegedly caught with arms and ammunition resumed yesterday at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They were arrested on a vessel by men of the Nigerian Navy for alleged piracy and dealing in petroleum products without authorisation.

    The defendants were accused of violating laws on money laundering and firearms prohibition.

    They are: Umarama Ovuiro, Adesola Peter, Collins Harrison, Paul Adeyemi, Adedeji Joshua, Samuel Oluwafemi, Abdulrahman Kabir (also known as Tunde), and a vessel, MT Dejikun.

    According to the prosecution, the defendants, on February 19, last year on the Nigerian coast, conspired to deal in petroleum products without lawful authority.

    The complainant – Federal Republic of Nigeria – said the defendants, “while committing piracy, did transfer petroleum products from the MT Maximus vessel”.

    The prosecution said the suspects were in unlawful possession of an AK49 rifle numbered 9973, as well as an AK56 rifle, numbered 15515.

    The defendants were also allegedly caught with a single barrel Magnum revolver, numbered 7080; 161 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition, six empty AK47 cartridges and six cartridges.

    The alleged offence violates sections 3 and 8 and is punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) of the Firearms Act of 2004.

    The offence of conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without authority and transferring it to another vessel violate sections 1 (17), 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, the prosecution said.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded in prison custody.

    At their trial yesterday, prosecuting counsel Mrs E. S. Osiade, a Senior State Counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, sought to tender statements made by the defendants after their arrest.

    But the defence counsel objected on the basis that the statements were not made voluntarily.

    Kabir’s lawyer, Mr Jerry Omoregi said: “My client informed me that the statement is a product of great torture which spanned over a period of two weeks while he was in a detention cell of the Nigerian Navy in Apapa.”

    Counsel for Ovuiro, Peter, Harrison, Joshua and Olawufemi, Mr N. C. Onyejiaka, also claimed his clients were forced to make their statements.

    “The original statements which they made voluntarily are not here,” he said.

    Following the defendants’ claim, Justice Muslim Hassan ordered a trial within trial to determine the statements’ voluntariness.

    But, the Navy claimed that the statements were obtained voluntarily after the defendants were duly cautioned.

    Testifying in the trial within trial, a Lieutenant-Commander, O. J. Adeyemi, said he took the statements after cautioning the defendants and that none of them was forced to write.

    “I even bought food and drinks for two of the defendants at different times when they complained that they were hungry. They wrote their statements willingly and not under duress,” he said.

    Justice Hassan adjourned until November 6 and 7 for continuation of trial within trial.

  • Soldiers recover arms in Imo

    •Suspected cultists, oil thief arrested

    Soldiers of 82 Division participating in Operation Python Dance in the Southeast, have reportedly recovered three locally-made single barrel guns and one AK 47 rifle loaded with 15 rounds of 7.62MM special ammunition.

    The recovery was made during a raid carried out by troops of Sector 2, Sub-sector 4 of 342 Artillery Regiment.

    A statement by the spokesman, Col. Musa Sagir, said the raid took place at Obile community in Ohaji Egbema Local Government of Imo State where a suspected notorious cultist and crude oil thief was arrested.

    The statement, which said four suspected cultists at Umukpo and Omoglogo villages in Ohuba community of Ohaji Egbema Local Government were arrested after a criminals’ den was raided, added that troops of Sector 2 (34 Brigade, Owerri), averted a bloody intra-cultists’ clash and nabbed Mr. Onyewokechi Chiwuanya aka Randy, at Abacheke locality of Egbema community, for alleged cultism and burglary of an electronics store.

    Mrs. Uchechi Agu and Esoro Chibuzor aka Oyibo were arrested for alleged cult-related activities.

    Sagir said the suspects had been handed over to the police.

    Troops of Sector 3 (82 Division) have arrested an alleged drug peddler, Mr. David Ubi.

    He was said to have been arrested with 100kg of Indian hemp and drugs suspected to be tramadol.

    Ubi hails from Yakurr Local Government of Cross River State and has been handed over to the police.

     

  • Trial of suspected pirates ‘caught with arms, ammunition’ begins

    The trial of seven suspected pirates who were allegedly caught with arms and ammunition resumed yesterday at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They were arrested on a vessel by men of the Nigerian Navy for alleged piracy and dealing in petroleum products without authorisation.

    The defendants were accused of violating laws on money laundering and firearms prohibition.

    They are: Umarama Ovuiro, Adesola Peter, Collins Harrison, Paul Adeyemi, Adedeji Joshua, Samuel Oluwafemi, Abdulrahman Kabir (also known as Tunde), and a vessel, MT Dejikun.

    According to the prosecution, the defendants, on February 19 last year on the Nigerian coast, conspired to deal in petroleum products without lawful authority.

    The complainant – Federal Republic of Nigeria – said the defendants, “while committing piracy, did transfer petroleum products from the MT Maximus vessel”.

    The prosecution said the suspects were in unlawful possession of an AK49 rifle numbered 9973, as well as an AK56 rifle, numbered 15515.

    The defendants were also allegedly caught with a single barrel Magnum revolver, numbered 7080; 161 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition, six empty AK47 cartridges and six cartridges.

    The alleged offence violates sections 3 and 8 and is punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) of the Firearms Act of 2004.

    The offence of conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without authority and transferring it to another vessel violate sections 1 (17), 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, the prosecution said.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded in prison custody.

    At their trial yesterday, prosecuting counsel Mrs E. S. Osiade, a Senior State Counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, sought to tender statements made by the defendants after their arrest.

    But the defence counsel objected on the basis that the statements were not made voluntarily.

    Kabir’s lawyer, Mr Jerry Omoregi said: “My client informed me that the statement is a product of great torture which spanned over a period of two weeks while he was in a detention cell of the Nigerian Navy in Apapa.”

    Counsel for Ovuiro, Peter, Harrison, Joshua and Olawufemi, Mr N. C. Onyejiaka, also claimed his clients were forced to make their statements.

    “The original statements which they made voluntarily are not here,” he said.

    Following the defendants’ claim, Justice Muslim Hassan ordered a trial within trial to determine the statements’ voluntariness.

    But, the Navy claimed that the statements were obtained voluntarily after the defendants were duly cautioned.

    Testifying in the trial within trial, a Lieutenant-Commander, O. J. Adeyemi, said he took the statements after cautioning the defendants and that none of them was forced to write.

    “I even bought food and drinks for two of the defendants at different times when they complained that they were hungry. They wrote their statements willingly and not under duress,” he said.

    Justice Hassan adjourned until November 6 and 7 for continuation of trial within trial.

  • Fed Govt: IPOB openly solicited arms, attacked army formations

    Fed Govt: IPOB openly solicited arms, attacked army formations

    The Federal Government yesterday justified the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (SAN).

    Minister of Information Lai Mohammed said IPOB’s leader Nnamdi Kanu’s utterances and actions led to the group’s proscription.

    But, the President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo, described IPOB’s proscription as “extremely unfair”.

    They spoke on a BBC World Service programme, Focus on Africa.

    Asked why IPOB was categorised as a terrorist organisation, Mohammed said: “The acts and utterances of IPOB were acts and utterances of terrorists.

    “For instance, Nnamdi Kanu was caught on tape saying that he wants Biafra, and not peacefully, but by force, and that if they don’t get Biafra, Somalia would be a paradise with the kind of mayhem…”

    When the anchor said Kanu was “a man who was talking without any weapons whatsoever,” the minister said it was also Kanu who openly sought for arms and set up a parallel security organisation.

    He said: “This is also the same man who openly solicited for arms, the same man who set up his own Biafran National Guard, his own Biafra Secret Service, and the same man who actually attacked army formations.”

    Asked what he made of the fact that the United States does not categorise IPOB as a terrorist group, Mohammed said America’s position was “very unfortunate”.

    “That’s very unfortunate, because if countries decide to pick and choose which organisations are terrorists and which are not, bearing in mind that terrorism has no boundary… I think every country should work together to ensure that terrorism does not thrive,” he said.

    Asked by the anchor why other armed groups in Nigeria were not declared terrorist organisations, yet IPOB that did not “raise so much as a single cutlass against the Nigerian state” was so categorised, Mohammed said acts of criminality were different from acts of terrorism.

    “I think acts of criminality should not be confused with terrorist acts. When an organisation decides to not just attack the army, but sets up its own parallel government, openly solicits for arms all over the world, issuing its own passports and its own currency, does not recognise your government, then it becomes a different thing,” he said.

    Asked if he was he worried about IPOB being driven underground and becoming a militant group, the minister replied: “Nigeria is so fragile that if we allow this kind of thing to go on, and there are reprisal attacks in other parts of the country, the whole country will be endangered.”

  • Police intercept vehicles carrying arms in Zamfara

    Police intercept vehicles carrying arms in Zamfara

    The Zamfara State Police Command on Wednesday intercepted two vehicles carrying arms in different parts of the state.

    The spokesman of the command, Mr Muhammad Shehu, confirmed the development in Gusau.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that items recovered from the vehicles were three AK47 riffles, an automatic pistol, locally-made pistol, magazines and live ammunitions.

    According to him, other items recovered include N103, 435 cash, ATM card, three voters’ cards, military camouflage and a stamp of the Cattle Traders Association of Nigeria in the Bukuru Local Government Area of Plateau.

    Shehu said that the drivers of the two cars, a Honda Civic marked Sokoto State BDN358AA and another marked Kano State KMC 321AA, were arrested and were now assisting the police in investigations.

    The spokesman explained that a police patrol team arrested one of the suspects, a native of Birnin-Yero village in the Shinkafi Local Government Council of Sokoto State on Sept. 25 on the Gusau-Sokoto highway

    He named items recovered from the vehicle as two AK 47 Riffles with number 3745485 and 1977CK22457 respectively and five magazines with 165 rounds of live ammunition,

    “Others items recovered are N68, 750 cash, ATM card and three 3 voters’ cards, military camouflage and several mobile phones.’’

    He said also that the police similarly, caught another suspect, a native of Bassa Local Government Council in Plateau on the Kauran-Namoda-Jibiya road.

    Shehu said that exhibits recovered in the man’s vehicle were one AK 47 riffle with number 804151, two magazines with 20 rounds of live ammunition and one pistol with four bullets.

    “Other items recovered are a locally-made pistol, eight mobile phones, cash of N34,685, two pairs of military camouflage and a stamp of the Cattle Traders Association of Nigeria, Bukuru Local Government Area of Plateau State.”

    The police image maker said that investigation into the matter was going on at the command’s Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, after which the suspects would be charged to court.

    He said that the successes recorded showed the level of commitment of the command led by the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Shaba Alkali.

    Shehu assured residents of the state of adequate security coverage and the determination of the command to reduce crime in the state.

    He appealed to members of the public to always cooperate with the police and other security agencies in the state.

    “Therefore, we should support the police with useful information on security from our respective areas.”

    Meanwhile, Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari has chided security agencies in the state for their poor performances in tackling security challenges in the state.

    Yari, who voiced his displeasure over the poor security in the state, while meeting with heads of security agencies in the state, described the security situation as worrisome.