Individuals Have Power Of Arrest-Force PRO, Adejobi
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi has stated that individuals can arrest offenders.
ACP Adejobi made this submission during a panel session at a conference organised by the National Association of Online Security News Publishers tagged; “Proliferation of Lethal Weapon As Security Threat: Arm-Full, Harm-full,” which held on Thursday September 21, 2023 in Lagos.
According to Adejobi, Section 12 of the Criminal Code empowers individual Nigerians to arrest offenders.
The image maker of the Nigerian Police spoke against the backdrop of the of small arms, saying that anyone, who wishes to posses such must be licenced by the government agency.
“The law empowers military personnel, and law enforcement agencies to carry arms. It’s however frightening to see many individuals possessing firearms without being licensed by the authority,” he said.
Adejobi further stated that even dane guns, which are used by hunters in villages across the country, ought to be licensed as directed by the government, but that because they are seen as part of of our culture, law agencies do not arrest the owners, but that such guns must be licensed.
“In Nigeria, everybody wants to posses a firearm for one reason or the other which is the basis of the current of problem we have now,” he said.
ACP Adejobi revealed that the IGP, some security chiefs, and some intelligent agents are members of the National Center for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons headed by a retired army general.
According to him, the members of the center mop up arms, which are usually brought into the country from neighboring countries, snatched from security officers, who are sometimes attacked and killed, stolen, and that are acquired illegally.
The Force PRO noted that most worrisome is the fabrication of AK47 in some parts of the country, which he said could favorably be compared with imported ones.
He added that in Plateau State, where he said the guns are fabricated, the terrain won’t allow security officers to get there because of the support they get from some people in the area, and emphasised that they are syndicates which all Nigerians must stand up to fight.
Adejobi then implored all uniform personnel in the country to unite and support each other, noting that the incident that occured in Imo State few days ago, where some army, police and civil defence officers were ambushed and killed, did not spare any personnel, saying that even road safety officials that do not carry arms were not spared but were also attacked and killed.
