- The Lagos state police command begins verification and re-validation of pump action guns
- It says firearms found in the possession of anybody who fails to partake in the verification exercise will be deemed illegitimate
- State police commissioners have been ordered by IGP Ibrahim Idris to commence disarmament and recovery of prohibited firearms
Individuals who own pump action firearm and other guns have been given an ultimatum by the Lagos state police command to submit their arms, licences for verification and re-validation within two weeks.
Vanguard reports that the ultimatum which was disclosed in a statement by the spokesperson for the command, SP Chike Oti, on Saturday, February 24, noted that firearms found in the possession of anybody who fails to partake in the exercise will be deemed as illegitimate.
It stated that such individual or group will be arrested and charged for unlawful possession of firearms in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the federation.
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The command said: “Those issued with licence to bear pump action firearm or other repeating firearm operated by a slide action mechanism, by the Lagos State Police Command Firearms Registry(D7), are to submit their weapons and Licences to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the closest Police Station for verification, confirmation and revalidation.
“The move is to enable the command update its data base with information about the owners, licences, and state of the firearms.
“ The owners of these firearms types are given two weeks grace period from the date of this publication(Feb. 24) to ready themselves for the exercise which will last till March 29.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, enjoins all licenced gun owners to take advantage of this revalidation programme as firearms found in the possession of anybody or group who did not participate in the exercise would be deemed as illegitimate.
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“Such an individual or group would be arrested and charged for unlawful possession of firearm(s) in accordance with the provisions of Prohibited Firearms Act 2004, Laws of the Federation."
Meanwhile, the inspector-general of police, Ibrahim Idris, has set up a task force to enforce the ban on illegal firearms.
In a statement on Friday, February 23, the police chief ordered state commissioners of police to commence the simultaneous retrieval of banned firearms from vigilante and militias.
It also gave a list of the nine firearms that have been prohibited. The police called on the citizens to support them as they work towards making the nation safe.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Saturday 24 February 2018