Police nab gun runners, manufacturer-ecovers military rifles

Police in Ikom in Cross River State have arrested gun runners, manufacturers and recovered one military rifle, revolver guns and 1, 408 rounds of live cartridges.

Also recovered were one locally made pistol, one locally made single barrel gun and one Toyota car with Reg. No UDU 736 EM.

It was gathered that on the 4th October 2020, upon intelligence, the PUFF ADDER stationed at Ikom rounded some guests/lodgers at Ebusan Hotel in Ikom.

The suspects were Akwa Joseph ‘m’ aged 35 yrs, a native of Betukwe in Obudu local government area, Nicholas Egbo ‘m’, Bassey ‘m’, Mike Mpon ‘m’ and Ndubisi Ozor ‘m’

A suspect who claimed to be a local hunter, Ndubusi Ozor told DAILY POST at the Police Headquarters, at Diamond Hill in Calabar Municipal local government area “I am a local hunter, they arrested me with my gun, single barrel and ammunition,

“I use to sell cartridges to my fellow hunters, I am not selling guns, I have no licence to sell guns and equally aware that I am not authorised to sell cartridges but I engage in it because of my stomach” he stated.

Another suspect, Nicholas Egbo told DAILY POST “My father-in-law brought his guns to me for repairs but I told him that I was warned not to work on guns again but he insisted.

“In fact, he forced me to work on it for him. In the process, I told him that I have two guns which I want to dispose off and he asked me to bring them and we left to Ikom to look for buyers since he said he has somebody who will buy them

“I am a black Smith Worker and I manufacture guns and I learned it from my grandfather. I have been doing this work since 1992 but I stopped it because of the danger. I have produced over 50 guns and I am also a farmer

“We left Ikom to dispose of the guns and that was where we were arrested/ Customers do come to me to purchase the weapons some of them came in from Cameroon to collect them guns but for sometimes now, I have not done it” he regretted.

Also speaking to our correspondent, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abdulkadir Jimoh said “The suspects supplied armed robbers, kidnappers and other criminals with arms and other ammunition. If these quantities get into the hands of these criminals, one wonders what would have happened to us and the State.

“With their arrest and recovery of these arms, the state has some relief. About the Military rifle, the suspect told us that he inherited it from his father in 1979 and he is 39 years old which means he inherited it before he was born.

“They were arrested a few days ago and investigations are ongoing which will lead us to the owner of the military rifle, they have made confessional statement The suspects also engage in mercenary war in Cameroon” the CP explained

On the implementation of IGP’s directive, the CP said. “I want to use this medium to assure that the IGP directives on the operation of the Special Anti Robbery Squad have been 100% implemented in the state.

“So we urged the press to alert the Commissioner of Police and the Police Public Relations Officer and other senior officers any infractions notice so that such officers and men could be adequately taking care of disciplinarily