…Apprehends 2 notorious gun dealers
ENUGU— A special committee has been set up by the Enugu State Police Command to recover illegal and unlicensed firearms in the state.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Ebere Amarizu, in a statement said the committee was necessary after the expiration of the 3-day ultimatum given to those in possession of unauthorized firearms to submit it to the Police.
Amaraizu also disclosed that the Command had arrested two notorious gun dealers who manufactures firearms for criminal gangs in the state.
“In line with its bid towards ensuring that illegal firearms are mopped up from those in the habit of the use of unauthorized/unlicensed firearms as well as manhunt of premises suspected to be receptacle of arms and workshop for manufacturing of illegal firearms, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe on Tuesday 6th August, 2019 set up a ten-man committee for mopping up of arms in the state headed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, in charge of operations Haruna Alaba while the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu is to serve as the secretary of the committee,” the statement said.
It said, “the committee will be formally inaugurated on Friday 9th August, 2019 at the conference room of the State Police Headquarters, Enugu by the State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe.
“Similarly, operatives of the Anti-cultism squad of the Enugu state command of the Nigeria police force acting on intelligence information have caged two notorious gun dealers and manufacturers over their alleged role in the manufacturing of firearms for suspected cultists/armed robbers which they uses in carrying out their nefarious activities.
“Suspects who gave their names as Offia Francis of about 47 years(A cripple) from Mgbeneze Isu in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi state and Cyprian Eze of 68 years from Omasi Umuabi in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu state.
“Suspects were nabbed based on intelligence information as well as revelations from a suspected cultists and armed robber identified as Ogba Ugochukwu alias Gentle from Awhum in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu state and a lord with Aiye confraternity.
“Ogba Ugochukwu had revealed that he bought two guns from Cyprian the manufacturer at the rate of 35,000 naira.
“The State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe has directed for a full scale investigations into the nefarious activities of gun manufacturing/dealing involving Offia Francis the cripple also known as Anaebualaebu and Cyprian Eze of Omasi Umuabi Udi where serious recoveries of guns and gun manufacturing implements and tools were recovered.
“The operatives have recovered the two guns from Ogba Ugochukwu alias gentle. All the suspects are helping the operatives in their investigations. The Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe has further stated that any one caught by the committee set up for the mop up of firearms as the date given for submission has expired, will be investigated and diligently prosecuted in line with the relevant sections of the law.”
