Anambra police to recover illegal arms within 21 days

The Anambra state police command has constituted a nine-member committee to recover illegal arms in the state within 21 days on the directive of the inspector general of police, Ibrahim Idris, Vanguard reports.


The committee, which has Baba Maiyaki, an assistant commissioner of police, as the chairman, is to carry out the exercise aimed at full enforcement of the Firearms Act, 2004, which is yet to be repealed.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, March 1, Anambra state commissioner of police, Garba Umar, said that the categories of firearms affected by the mop up operation are artillery, apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusion projectiles, rocket weapons, bomb and grenades, machine guns and pistols, as well as military riffles of 7.82 and 9 mm calibers.


Others include revolvers and pistols of all types, firearms, such as pump action gun of all categories and other firearms and lethal weapon fabricated to kill.

He stated that the approved Anambra state vigilante groups would continue to perform their duties because they were legal outfits. Umar said: “The vigilante uses only double barrel guns and that is the only weapon allowed for them to be used.

All other weapons and ammunition in wrong hands, suspected militia, criminals/unlawful gangs or groups, shall be recovered henceforth.”