Benin City – Edo State Police have recovered no fewer than 120 assorted prohibited firearms in a mop up excercise conducted in the state recently.
Five persons were said to have been arrested during the mop up workout that lasted a month.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Johnson Kokumo disclosed this while displaying guns and ammunition said to have been harvested from individuals to journalists in his office at the state police command headquarters in Benin City, today.
Kokumo also stated that the mop up excercise conducted in the state was in full compliance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Idris that police commands across Nigeria should mop up all illegally acquired firearms from members of the public in the overall interest of national security.
He explained that some individuals willingly submitted their guns while others were recoverd following intelligence reports and coordinated raids.
“Some said the firearms found in their possession belong to their late parents, brothers, uncles,” CP Kokumo stated.
Among the list of the firearms said to have been recovered are nine AK-47 riffles, 15 Pump Action Guns, 23 locally made cut-to-size guns, one Beretta riffle, one T06 riffle and 154 live ammunition.
CP Kokumo however thanked members of the public for volunteering the information that led to recovery.
Similarly, the CP stated that the command also apprehended three suspected kidnappers and a member of armed robbery gang operating in Edo State.
Sophisticated arms and ammunition were said to have equally been recovered from them as a manhunt had been launched after other fleeing members of the gang.
