Police place embargo on issuance of new arms licences

The Acting Inspector- General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu has placed with immediate effect, embargo on the issuance of new licences for designated arms throughout the country.

ACP Frank Mba, the spokesman of the force disclosed this in statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mba who did not list the categories of the arms, called on Nigerians in unlawful possession of such weapons to return them to Police Stations or Public Armoury nearest to them.

Mba said the decision followed the proliferation of illicit weapons and the desire by some citizens to acquire more arms.

He said Adamu advised Nigerians to take advantage of the “voluntary arms return window” and do the right thing as there will be dire consequences for defaulters.

The spokesman said that the force has perfected plans to embark on a massive, nationwide Joint Arms Mopping up Operations.

He said the operation which would be intelligent driven and target oriented, was designed to retrieve all illicit weapons in circulation.

Mba said that the excuse would halt the on-going proliferation of weapons, restore law and order and bring perpetrators to justice.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the immediate past I-G, Mr Ibrahim Idris had ordered a mop up of illegal and unauthorised arms from across the country.