The Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Mohammed Adamu, has placed an immediate embargo on the issuance of new licences for designated arms throughout the country.
The development was made known in a statement issued by ACP Frank Mba, the spokesman of the force on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The police spokesman called on Nigerians in unlawful possession of such weapons to return them to Police Stations or Public Armoury nearest to them. He, however, failed to list the categories of the arms.
Mba said the decision followed the proliferation of illicit weapons and the desire of some citizens to acquire more arms.
The police PRO said Adamu advised Nigerians to take advantage of the “voluntary arms return window” and do the right thing as there will be dire consequences for defaulters.
Mba said the force has perfected plans to embark on a massive, nationwide Joint Arms Mopping-up Operations.
The spokesman said the operation which would be intelligent driven and target oriented, was designed to retrieve all illicit weapons in circulation.
According to him, the exercise would halt the on-going proliferation of weapons, restore law and order and bring perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, Naija News reports that the development is coming after Ibrahim Idris, the immediate Inspector-General of police had ordered a mop-up of illegal and unauthorised arms from across the country last year.
