Police decry arms proliferation in South-South

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 5 has decried the proliferation of arms and ammunition among youths in several communities within the South-South geo-political.

AIG in charge of the zone made of Edo, Bayelsa and Delta states, Musa Daura, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting with youths and local vigilante organisations in Benin where he said that figures available to the zone indicated that 80 per cent crimes recorded in the affected states were perpetrated by the youth.

He said the police was worried that rather than channel their energies towards nation building, many young Nigerians take up arms ‎illegally to cause evil in society.

“Unfortunately, many youths have become a menace, propagating all heinous crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, rape, others.

“Available statistics have shown that 80 per cent of crimes committed in society are perpetrated by the youths. Crime is evil and brings bad reputation to the perpetrators.”

He urged youth groups to collaborate with the police in the provision of useful information as stakeholders in the fight against crime.

However, some persons who spoke during the interactive session, appealed for the provision of adequate protection for police informants.

A member of the a local vigilance group at Upper Sakponba, Dauda Asia, said: “Really, hoodlums are not spirits; they are human being like us and we know their whereabouts.