The Nigeria Police said yesterday that it recovered a total of 9,657 illegal firearms and 26994 illegal ammunition in possession of suspected militias, bandits, armed herdsmen and farmers, vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch and other groups and individuals in the country.
The recovery, the police explained, was in the mope up exercise earlier directed by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, who disclosed this in a statement Thursday evening, said the police also recovered a cash sum of $470,519,889.10) belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TSA.
Mr Moshood, in the statement, also revealed that the Force equally recovered the sum of NGN 8,807,264,834.96 belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT, that was not remitted to TSA Account of the Federal Government just as he said the sum of 114,290,000.00 was recovered in relation to the December 10th, 2016, National And State Assembly Re-Run Elections in Rivers State by 23 INEC electoral officials.
According to him, 6, 527 and 3, 130 illegal firearms were recovered in first and second batches of the mope up exercises respectively,explaining that 14, 809 and 12, 185 ammunition were also recovered during the period began on 21 April, 2018.
The categories of the prohibited firearms and ammunition, specified under Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 Fire Arms Act which were seized by the police during the mope up exercises, he explained, included: Artillery; apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusing projectile;rocket weapons;bombs and grenades and Machine-Guns and Machine-Pistols
Others he said were military rifles, namely; those of calibers 7.62mm, 9mm, .300 inches; evolvers and Pistols whether rifled or unrifled (including flint-lock pistols and cap pistols;firearms such as pump action gun of all categories and any other firearms/lethal weapons fabricated to kill
” This operation which is still ongoing among other purposes, is aimed at the full enforcement of the Firearms Act, mopping-up and recovery of all prohibited firearms and illegally acquired weapons and will enable the Nigeria Police Force deal decisively with herders/farmers clashes, Kidnappings, armed robbery, cattle rustling, millitancy and terrorism etc,”he said.
The statement further read:”On assumption of office, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim,created Special Units to handle high profile cases including terrorism, cyber and high-tech crimes, some of which includes the IGP Monitoring Unit, Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism.
“As a result of these efforts, the Nigeria Police Force recovered the following monetary and non-monetary assets for the Federal Government.
“Recovery of cash items:The sum of Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cent ($470,519,889.10) belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TSA.lp
“The sum of Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Seven Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Four Naira, Ninety Six Kobo (NGN8,807,264,834.96) monies belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT, that was not remitted to TSA Account of the Federal Government was also recovered.
” The Sum of One Hundred and Fourteen Million, Two Hundred And Ninety Thousand Naira, (NGN 114,290,000.00) in relation to the December 10th, 2016, National And State Assembly Re-Run Elections in Rivers State Of Nigeria was recovered from twenty-three (23) INEC Electoral officials.
“Recovery of non-cash items :”The Nigeria Police Force in the fight against Economic Sabotage and pipeline vandalism related crimes recovered two (2) Vessels, seven (7) Speed Boats, eight-three (83) Trucks, twenty-five assorted Cars including Jeeps, thirty-six (36) Buses, twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles, five Speed Boat engines and thirty-eight (38) pumping/Drilling Machines and Generators.
According to the statement,summary of monetary and non-monetary assets recovered are:”The total recoveries of monetary and non-monetary assets of the Federal Government by the Nigeria Police Force are:
(a) MONETARY ASSETS
· Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cents($470,519,889.10).
· Eight Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-One Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four Naira and Ninety-Six Kobo (NGN 8,921,554,834.96).
(b) NON-MONETARY ASSETS:
· Two (2) Vessels
· Seven (7) Speed Boats
· Eighty-three (83) TankerTrucks
· Sixty-one (61) assorted Vehicles
· Five (5) Speed Boats Engines
· Twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles
· Thirty-eight (38) Pumping/Drilling MachinesandGenerators.
“While the Firearms Mop-up Operations and the recovery of monetary/non-monetary assets of Governmentare still ongoing, the Nigeria Police Force therefore implores Members of the Public with useful information that will assist the Police to report via the following contacts:
Recall that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim, on 21st February, 2018 directed the Commissioners of Police of all the state commands of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja and their Supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police of the 12 zonal commands in the country, and the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement Team to immediately commence simultaneously throughout the Country, the mopping-up, recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in the possession of all suspected militias, bandits, armed herdsmen and Farmers, vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch and other groups or individuals or bodies bearing prohibited firearms and ammunition, illegal weapons and lethal devices whether locally fabricated, modified or otherwise fashioned to kill or that can cause harm or injury to persons or that can cause panic, fear, apprehension, security breach, breach of Public peace or that can cause threat to law and order anywhere in the country.
Ultimatums of 21 days at intervals were given by the Force for voluntary return of all prohibited firearms in the hands of members of the general public, individuals and groups such as Vigilantes and neighbourhood watch groups in any of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The statement said, “the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of lives and property and recovery of government assets in the hands of unpatriotic individual(s), group(s) or corporate bodies across the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.”