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Tag: Firearms

  • Troops uncover rifle factory, recover firearms, ammunition

    Troops uncover rifle factory, recover firearms, ammunition

    Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in Plateau State have uncovered a rifle fabrication factory with cache of arms, ammunition at Mangu Local Government Area.

    Information Officer Captain Oya James revealed this in a statement yesterday.

    He said the factory was discovered during clearance operations on rugged mountainous terrain, adding that an isolated structure was sighted on a high ground in Pakachi Village, Mangu, which turned out to be a weapons fabrication factory.

    “During the operations, a significant number of illicit firearms and related equipment were recovered and one suspect apprehended.

    “The operation resulted in the arrest of Tapshak Plangji, a 25-year-old male, suspected to be involved in the illegal activities at the factory. The alleged owner of the facility, Mr. Nuhu Meshack, is currently at large and efforts are underway to bring him to justice,” the statement read.

    It said five  AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines,11 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five rounds of 9mm ammunition, 21 Dane Guns, four revolver rifles and 11 pistols with five magazines were recovered.

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    Other items recovered included 17 gun barrels, six rounds of 0.44 inch ammunition, a carbide cylinder with accessories, three saws, 12 filing machines, four hammers, six manual drillers, two electrically operated filing machines, two G-clamps, a spraying machine, one Tiger generator and assorted drilling irons.

    The statement said the suspect and the recovered rifles and other items were currently in the custody of the troops for further investigation.

    It said the success of the  operation was a testament to the commitment of the troops in collaboration with other security agencies in the fight against illegal arms proliferation and criminal activities within  communities.

    “It also underscores the importance of collaborative efforts between security agencies and local communities in safeguarding our nation from threats posed by illicit arms production and trafficking”

  • Court jails ex-American marine for unlawful importation of firearms

    Court jails ex-American marine for unlawful importation of firearms

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced an American, Donn Perkins,  to six months imprisonment for unlawful importation of firearms, by a Lagos Federal High Court.

    Justice Abimbola Awogboro, on Friday, convicted and setenced the suspect following his change of plea to guilty plea last week Wednesday.

    The convicted American was first arraigned before the court on May 25, on a four-count charge bordering on unlawful importation of the prohibited firearms by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    The prosecutor, Mrs. Kehinde Bode-Ayeni, had told the court that the American who claimed to be a Marine Officer in America, was arrested with the firearms, sometimes in February 2023, at the Tin-can Island, Apapa, Lagos.

    Some of the arms and ammunition found with the convict at the time of arrest were; one piece of 5.56mm AK47, styled rifle (Tavor) serial No. 1452 with three magazines and one drum, one piece of Ak-47 .62mm variant serial No: 9335724 with four magazines, Ruger magnum .357 Revolver with serial No. 17819337, Ruger 380 pistol with serial no; 79047837 and XD 45 pistol with serial No. BY558431 and two magazines.

    Others include; a total of 1,064 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, 119 rounds of 357mm live ammunition, 62 rounds of.32mm automatic ammunition, 29 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, 25 rounds of AK47 7.62mm special live ammunition, 39 rounds of 22mm live ammunition, 47 rounds of 45mm automatic live ammunition, 1 round of .40mm live of ammunition and 54 rounds of .380mm Ruger live ammunition.

    The arms and ammunition according to the prosecutor were concealed in a 1x20ft Container No: TGHU0S010362 and illegally brought  into the country through Tin-Can Island, Apapa, Lagos.

    The prosecutor told the court that the offence committed by the convict contravened sections  18 and 19 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (As amended), and punishable under section 27 (1) (a) (lil) of the same Act.

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    The convict had pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned.

    However, following the arguments canvassed on his bail application by his lawyer and the prosecutor, the court ordered for accelerated hearing of the matter and remanded him in prison custody.

    However, at the resumed hearing of the charges last Wednesday, the convict signified his intention to change his plea.

    Sequel to the convict’s intention, the court ordered that the charges be re-read to him, so the his plea could be taken again.

    Following his guilty plea to the charge, the prosecutor, Mrs. Bode-Ayeni, called a witness, who narrated how the convict was arrested with the prohibited weapons, and tendered all the confiscated weapons.

    Consequently, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him owing to his plea, coupled with the testimony of the witness and exhibits tendered in accordance to section 356(e) of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

    However, defence lawyer, Dr. Sheriff Adesanya, in his allocutor urged the court to be lenient with his client, having pleaded guilty to the charge without wasting the time of the court.

    He said: “the convict has pleaded guilty to the offence of not declaring his firearms, there by not wasting the rile of the court.

    “I humbly submit that the convict is a 38 year-old US citizen, who decided to trace his root back to Nigeria and he was misguided. While ignorant of law is not an excuse. In fact, he is a US Marine, who procured required permit to have these firearms.

    “His failure to declare the weapons has made him to lose his family, as his wife is now filing a divorce due to this charge.

    “I urged the court to take into consideration the six months spent in custody.”

    Also, the convicted American, while begging the court for leniency said: “I just want to use the weapons to protect myself and my family, that is how we were trained in US.

    “I came in last year spent three weeks, then, I came back this year. I just don’t know how to go about it in getting it registered.

    “I plead with  the court to show me mercy, I don’t have any negative intent, and if I have, may God strike me dead. I just bring it in to protect myself and my family.”

    In sentencing the convict today, Justice Awogboro after weighing all the submissions made by parties and citing plethoras of legal authorites, sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment.

    The judge held that the period of the jail-term commences from the date the convict was arrested.

  • Insecurity: IG to review firearms licensing, regulations 

    Insecurity: IG to review firearms licensing, regulations 

    Police boss sets up panel, orders CPs, squads to clamp down on illicit arms

    Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has promised to establish an ad hoc committee to handle a comprehensive review of firearms licensing and regulations by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

    The development, Egbetokun said, is in line with the Firearms Act and other extant laws, to ensure public safety and general security. 

    The committee’s mandate will encompass a thorough assessment of the current firearms licensing procedures and regulations, with the aim of enhancing their effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. 

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), reads: “The police will engage with relevant stakeholders, including legal experts, civil society organisations (CSOs), and experts in the field, to ensure a holistic and well-informed review.

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    “Similarly, in furtherance of his zeal to tackle all forms of insecurity in the country, the IGP has issued a stern warning to all individuals involved in the wrongful possession of arms and light weapons, reiterating that illegal proliferation of firearms and light weapons poses a significant threat to the peace and stability of our nation. 

    “In light of this, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is resolutely determined to combat the illegal fabrication, sales, possession and use of arms, emphasising that possessing firearms without the appropriate licences and permits is not only a violation of the law but also a grave danger to society.”

    The IGP said the NPF would pursue and prosecute those involved in such illegal activities with the full weight of the law. 

    The police boss also advised all police commissioners across the states and supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) in charge of zonal commands, as well as tactical squads, to clamp down on illegal fabrication, sale, possession, and use of prohibited firearms across the country. 

    He urged Nigerians to report suspicious activities on firearms to their police divisions or via NPF social media platforms for prompt response.

  • AK-47, other firearms fabricated in Lagos, says CP

    AK-47, other firearms fabricated in Lagos, says CP

    The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP, Idowu Owohunwa, has described as worrisome, a noticeable trend that showed that AK-47 rifles, other firearms were being illegally manufactured in the state.

    Owohunwa expressed the concern at the inauguration of the state’s Complaint Response Unit (CRU) by the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun held at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

    Delivering his welcome address, Owohunwa said there was an increasing local expertise in the fabrication of various types of firearms including replicas of foreign made pistols, AK47 and other assault rifles.

    This trend, coupled with the threat of cultism, he said, projected a potent danger to the security space in the state.

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    Aside from the threat of cultism, the CP said other security threats in the state included armed robbery, kidnapping, murder and sexual and gender based violence.

    He said: “We are also constantly confronted with the challenge of dissecting and dealing with the thin line between the civil and criminal dynamics of land disputes which are also prevalent in the state.

    “Also of routine concern is the traffic gridlock and the attendant occasional traffic robberies which are compounded by on-going road projects across the state including, in particular, the Lagos-Ibadan highway.

    “The crime profile of the state is further accentuated by the prevalence of illegal firearms proliferation, and illicit drug abuse and trafficking.

    “Hardly does a day pass by without the ever vigilant operatives of the command recovering weapons and illicit drugs of various descriptions at stop and search points, raids of black spots, and other operational engagements with all such recoveries linked to the perfection of crimes across the State.

    “Most worrisome in all these is a noticeable trend that indicates an increasing local expertise in the fabrication of various types of firearms including replicas of foreign made pistols, AK47 and other assault rifles.

    “This trend, coupled with the threat of cultism, projects a potent danger to the security space of Lagos State and if nothing drastic is done by all strategic State actors and the citizens to complement the efforts of the Police in rolling back the dangerous tide.

    “In cognizance of this, we are planning to organise a conference in the coming weeks with intent to mainstream the discourse on cultism and violent crimes in Lagos and galvanise all strategic stakeholders and the different levels of governance in the State to the evolving threat.

    “This is with the overall goal of adopting a whole-of-society approach to mitigating the trend. The groundwork for the Conference is being currently perfected and we look forward to inviting the IGP to return to Lagos and declare the event open in due course. It is our expectation that the IGP will once again, honour the Command with his attendance.”

    Owohunwa said the IG’s maiden visit provided an opportunity to brief him on the internal security situation in Lagos, the strides attained and gaps his support would be needed to bridge.

    Continuing, the CP said he had focused on galvanizing all officers of the command towards perfecting operational strategies and providing strategic leadership founded on discipline, professional integrity as a pathway to sustaining the exceptional policing framework.

    He added: “Working as an intertwined team, I am glad to report that officers of the command have embraced the vision of the IGP and perfected the leadership models of intelligence-led, citizens-driven, and operationally proactive policing.

    “We are also leveraging our strong inter-agency synergy with the Department of State Services, the military detachments in the state and other state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies in the state.

    “Above all, we are adopting a problem-solving framework that is founded on the policing principle of zero-tolerance to crime, the practice of crime-mapping, and utilization of crime statistics and intelligence analysis tools to support perspective policing.

    “We have imbibed a new policing orientation that emphasizes proactive approach to identification and mitigation of threats.

    “Through these initiatives, we have succeeded in re-dominating the public security space, limited the liberty of criminals to breach public peace, and have significantly stabilized the security order across the state.

    “Our capacity to prevent or respond to major security breaches and bring felons to deserved justice has been appreciably enhanced and today, we are steadily building Lagos into an impregnable fortress against criminal elements…”

    Acknowledging that there were isolated security breaches of concern, Owohunwa noted that his officers and men had proven that they had a record of resilience, synergy, diligence, courage, sacrifice, and the right motivation to present a common front that will, undoubtedly, continue to smoke out and bring all criminal elements in the state to deserved justice in the fullness of time.

  • Firearms and the police

    NIGERIANS and their police are aghast at the misuse of firearms by errant policemen. It has become a scandal. The government is bothered, the police themselves are worried, and the government is squirming. All sorts of theories have been suggested to explain the misuse of firearms in these parts. Some put it down to pure wickedness and lack of supervision, others suggest it may be due to stress occasioned by understaffing, and others argue that extended shift system might be responsible. While panaceas may be disputed, no one is in doubt about the reality of firearms misuse.

    The main problems the new IGP, Mohammed Adamu, must contend with is not just the misuse of firearms, which is rising to epidemic proportions, but the need to reform the police entirely. In the face of national reluctance to restructure the country and decentralise the police, Mr Adamu can still propose some fundamental changes in the law enforcement agency’s approach to policing in order to make them more effective. What is not an option is tinkering with the present situation or ignoring it entirely. The problem of the police, he must by now have seen, is not just poor funding; it is also about structure, training, attitude and philosophy.

    Until Mr Adamu can propose measures to comprehensively reform the law enforcement philosophy of the police, integrate that new attitude into their training, and restructure the institution to make policemen more responsive and effective, platitudes, such as he and his predecessors have mouthed constantly, will not create the kind of police force the country needs. There is a limit to what Mr Adamu can do, seeing that the effectiveness of the police is contingent upon the country’s structure; but he can still do enough within the present structure and current realities to build a legacy of creative policing for himself.

  • Businesswoman held over alleged possession of firearms

    A 35-year-old businesswoman, Rose Eitus, who was allegedly in possession of one locally-made single barrel short gun, yesterday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.

    Eitus, who loves at 6, Agboworin Street, Ketu, Ijanikin in Lagos, was arraigned on a two-count-charge of conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Michael Unah alleged that the defendant conspired with others still at large, unlawfully having in their possession a locally-made gun with one live cartridge.

    Unah said Eitus could not give a satisfactory account of how she came about the firearms.

    The prosecutor said the defendant committed the offences on February14 at 10.00 p.m., at her home.

    “A team of police officers got information that a group of boys were smoking Indian hemp at the defendant’s shop.

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    “This generated fear in the neighborhood and the police officers were alerted.

    “The said boys took to their heels upon sighting the police from afar, while the defendant was arrested after a gun with one live cartridge was found behind her freezer,’’ he said.

    Chief Magistrate A.A. Fashola granted the defendant N200,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    He said the sureties must be employed with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified by the court.

    The magistrate said the sureties must be relatives of the defendant and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

    The case continues on April 16.

     

  • Court remands tailor for ‘illegal possession of firearms’

    An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court has ordered the remand of a 38-year-old tailor, Abdulrasheed Zakariyau of Magaji compound, Oke-Andi, Ilorin, the state capital, for alleged illegal possession of firearms.

    The Prosecutor, Inspector Alhassan Jubril, told the court that the case was reported on September 24 at the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) office by the Squad Vehicular Patrol Team, led by Inspector Odior Victor.

    Jubril said on the same date during patrol on Fate/Water view, Sango area to check criminal activities, they intercepted a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number (Lagos) QX368LND.

    He said the rider of the motorcycle, the accused, looked suspicious and his house was searched.

    “A short Dane gun and a locally-made pistol loaded with one live cartridge was recovered from him and when we questioned him, he could not give satisfactory account of the items recovered from him,” the prosecutor said.

    Jubril said during an investigation, the accused was discovered to be a member of a vigilance group.

    He said the type of gun recovered could not be possessed by a vigilante.

    The prosecutor said the case contravenes Section 27 (A) 1 of the Firearms Act.

    The Magistrate, Mrs Hafsat Alege, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison.

    The matter was adjourned till October 15 for further mention.

     

  • Suspected cultists arraigned for firearms possession

    An Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osun State yesterday remanded two suspected cultists in Ilesa Prison for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.

    The defendants — Akande Oluwabusayo and  Oluwagbotemi Oni — are facing a four-count charge of unlawful possession of firearms and belonging to Aiye Secret Cult.

    Prosecutor Joshua Oladoye alleged the defendants committed the offences on April 7, at Oke-Onitea, Osogbo.

    He said the defendants were arrested by Federal SARS’ members.

    “They were nabbed with guns and live cartridges,’’ Oladoye added.

    The offences contravene sections 27(1) (b) (I) of the Firearms Law of Nigeria and sections 64 (a) (b) and 516 of the Criminal Law of Osun, 2003.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Counsel to the suspects Mr. Abiodun Olaide urged the court to grant his clients bail in most liberal terms.

    Magistrate Awodele Olubukola ordered that the accused be remanded in prison and adjourned the case till July 6 for mention.

    Two suspected cultists were arraigned for possessing firearms in Osun

  • Melaye may be charged with illegal possession of firearms

    The Police have said Senator Dino Melaye may be charged with illegal possession of firearms. Force Headquarters spokesman, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, an Assistant Superintendent, said the senator may face other charges apart from criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms. But he gave no further details.

    His words: “Outside the charge of conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, it is very likely that there are other sundry offences relating to violent crimes that he is going to be charged with.

    “I may not be able to tell you the precise charges because it is important to ensure that we don’t jeopardize the investigation.”

    He said that while the police recognise the authority of the Senate, they will not shirk their own constitutional responsibility of investigating and/or prosecuting anyone, including high-profile personalities.

    He said: “by and large, we want to impress it on distinguished members of the Senate that the Nigeria Police Force holds the Senate and its leadership in high esteem.

    “We wish to impress on every citizen, the need to allow the rule of law and for them not to personalise and trivialise criminal matters.

    “There is need to allow the rule of law and justice and to allow the court’s judgement to prevail.”

    Asked when Melaye might be formally charged to court,  Moshood said: “I am not in a position to give you that information.

    “However, as I have earlier said, he is going to be promptly charged to court without further delay.”

  • Police burst illegal firearms factory in Niger

    Niger state Police Command has uncovered an illegal firearms factory in Mashegu local government area of the state.

    110 assorted guns which included locally made pistols, locally fabricated AK 47 and automatic machine guns along with 80 ammunitions were recovered from the factory.

    Briefing newsmen in Minna, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Dibbal said that the police got a tip about some group of people who manufactured different types of guns adding that with that information, the Police went into operation to arrest them.

    He stated that the Command is determined to follow the directive of the Inspector General of Police to mop up illegal arms and ammunition adding that a task force charged with this duty have commenced full operation across Niger state.

    Dibbal advised anyone with illegal arms and ammunition to voluntarily submit them adding that after the expiration of the ultimatum given by the IGP, any person or group found to be in possession of illegal arms would be made to face the wrath of the law.