Ahead of Edo and Ondo elections, scheduled for September and October, 2020 respectively, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has issued a stern warning to politicians who break rules and regulations, and vowed to prosecute people carrying arms illegally.
To forestall breakdown of law and order, the IGP has directed Commissioners of Police in charge of the 36 states and the Federation Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to immediately convene enlightenment meetings of all vigilante groups and quasi security outfits spread across the country in order to ensure their activities are in conformity with the extant laws guiding their establishments and operations.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the police boss said the directive became necessary in order to prevent disruption of peace and harmony by political thugs and other criminal elements.
The statement reads: “As part of preparations toward the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo States, as well as efforts by the Police High Command to curb the proliferation of prohibited firearms in the country, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu has ordered Commissioners of Police in the thirty-six States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to immediately initiate appropriate actions to identify, isolate, disarm, arrest and prosecute any individual(s) or group(s) in possession of prohibited firearms.
“The directive has become necessary against the backdrop of the deliberate arming and movement of political thugs and other criminal elements across the country. In addition, the directive is targeted at addressing the proliferation and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms in the country which is contrary to the provisions of Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 of the Firearms Act.
“In a similar vein, Commissioners of Police in all the States of the Federation and the FCT have been directed to immediately convene an enlightenment meeting of all vigilante groups and quasi security outfits spread across the country in order to ensure that their activities are in conformity with the extant laws guiding their establishment and operations.
“The IGP, while observing that several civil groups — vigilantes, quasi states and regional security outfits under various guises are arming themselves with prohibited firearms and weapons in contravention of the provisions of the Firearms Act, notes that the trend if unchecked, will pose serious threat to national security.”