By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has hinted that weapons are sold in the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State.
Adeoye said this at a press briefing on Monday at the Police Command Headquarters, Amawbia, in the Awka South Local Government Area of the state.
The CP who said he was talking from a long experience of service in the state, that commenced in the 1990s, said the situation had even worsened recently.
He described the Onitsha main market as one of the sources for proliferation of weapons in the state.
The CP also said Awka blacksmiths manufacture local guns, thereby contributing in the proliferation of illegal arms.
He said the command would go after such arm manufacturers and bring them to book.
The Commissioner also noted that illegal arms were also being brought into the South-East from Cameroon via Port Harcourt.
He said the dealers would package such weapons with stockfish and bring them at a place near Aba, Abia State for ready buyers.
He said within three months,the command had recovered 26 firearms and arrested 30 insurgents.
He restated the Inspector General of Police’s grace period for people with illegal firearms to return them to the police, stating that within the grace period nobody would be punish or prosecuted for returning such arms.
Adeoye , however warned, that “After this grace period we shall began search and recovery of such firearms the way that has not happened in this part of the world and culprits prosecuted appropriately.”
The CP gave highlights of the command’s achievements in the past three months Viz:
HIGHLIGHTS OF ACHIEVEMENT RECORDED BY ANAMBRA STATE POLICE COMMAND FROM 1ST JULY 2023 TO DATE:
NO OF INSURGENTS ARRESTED – 30
NO OF ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS ARRESTED – 39
NO OF CULTISTS ARRESTED – 38
NO OF KIDNAPPERS ARRESTED – 22
NO OF KINAP VICTIMS RESCUED – 6
NO OF FIREARM RECOVERED – 26
NO OF AMMUNITION RECOVERED – 93
NO OF MOTOR VEHICLES RECOVERED – 25
NO OF TRICYCLES RECOVERED – 14
NO OF MOTORCYCLE RECOVERED – 7
NO OF ARMORED CABLES RECOVERED – One roll
NO OF IRON GRILL FROM 2nd NIGER BRIDGE RECOVERED – 16.
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