Police authorities say they have recovered monetary and non-monetary assets of the Federal Government hidden in some commercial banks across the country.
They have also recovered a total of 9,657 illegal and prohibited arms and more than 26,000 ammunition in two batches across the country.
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood on Thursday said the nationwide mop up exercise by the police is aimed at the full enforcement of the Firearms Act.
According to him, the mop-up began after the expiration of the ultimatum of the deadline given by the force for persons with illegal firearms, weapons and ammunition to turn them in.
Read the full statement by the police below:
PRESS BRIEFING
UPDATE ON THE RECOVERY OF PROHIBITED FIREARMS, ILLEGAL WEAPONS AND LOCALLY FABRICATED LETHAL DEVICES RECOVERED IN THE ONGOING MOP-UP OF FIREARMS/ILLEGAL WEAPONS BY THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE AND EFFORTS OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE IN THE RECOVERY OF MONETARY AND NON- MONETARY ASSETS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT; BY THE FPRO, Ag. DCP JIMOH MOSHOOD AT THE FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA ON 20th SEPTEMBER, 2018.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni, on 21st February, 2018 directed the Commissioners of Police of all the State Commands of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and their Supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police of the Twelve Zonal Commands in the Country, and the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement Team to immediately commence simultaneously throughout the Country, the mopping-up, recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in the possession of all suspected Militias, Bandits, Armed Herdsmen and Farmers, Vigilante groups, Neighbourhood watch and other groups or Individual(s) or Bodies bearing prohibited firearms and ammunition, illegal weapons and lethal devices whether locally fabricated, modified or otherwise fashioned to kill or that can cause harm or injury to persons or that can cause panic, fear, apprehension, security breach, breach of Public peace or that can cause threat to law and order anywhere in the Country.
- Consequently, ultimatums of Twenty One (21) days at intervals were given by the Force for voluntary return of all prohibited firearms in the hands of members of the General Public, individuals and groups such as Vigilantes and neighbourhood watch groups in any of the Thirty Six (36) States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) including the Seven Hundred and Seventy Four (774) Local Government Areas of the Federation, Town Unions, Hunters and Watch night men or any group or association under any capacity or guise, other than Security Agencies recognized statutorily and gazetted by the Federal Government of Nigeria to bear firearms of specified category; after the expiration of the grace period and ultimatums, the Commissioners of Police of State Commands, FCT and their Supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police and the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement Team in compliance with IGP’s directives and working on actionable intelligence, swung into actions and embarked on Mop-up, Seizure and Recovery of all illegal and prohibited firearms and ammunition from wrong hands, suspected Militias, Militants, Criminal/Unlawful Gangs through search, raid and seizure from identified premises, hideouts, dwelling houses, buildings and sites where these illegal/prohibited firearms were kept based on reasonable suspicion and intelligence and recovered the following prohibited/illegal firearms and ammunition:
RECOVERED PROHIBITED FIREARMS
Batch 1 – No. of Firearms Recovered = 6, 527
No. of Ammunition Recovered = 14, 809
Batch 2 – No. of Firearms Recovered = 3, 130
No. of Ammunition Recovered = 12, 185
3. Below are the categories of the prohibited/illegal firearms and ammunition, specified under Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 Fire Arms Act:
Prohibited Firearms
i. Artillery
ii. Apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusing projectile.
iii. Rocket weapons
iv. Bombs and Grenades
v. Machine-Guns and Machine-Pistols
vi. Military rifles, namely; those of calibers 7.62mm, 9mm, .300 inches
vii. Revolvers and Pistols whether rifled or unrifled (including flint-lock pistols and cap pistols).
viii. Firearms such as Pump action gun of all categories
ix. Any other firearms/lethal weapons fabricated to kill
- This operation which is still ongoing among other purposes, is aimed at the full enforcement of the Firearms Act, mopping-up and recovery of all prohibited firearms and illegally acquired weapons and will enable the Nigeria Police Force deal decisively with Herders/Farmers Clashes, Kidnappings, Armed Robbery, Cattle Rustling, Militancy and Terrorism etc.
- EFFORTS OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE IN THE RECOVERY OF MONETARY AND NON- MONETARY ASSETS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
On assumption of Office, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni created Special Units to handle high profile cases including Terrorism, Cyber and high-tech crimes, some of which includes the IGP Monitoring Unit, Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism.
As a result of these efforts, the Nigeria Police Force recovered the following monetary and non-monetary assets for the Federal Government.
RECOVERY OF CASH ITEMS
i. The sum of Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cent ($470,519,889.10) belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TSA.
ii. The sum of Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Seven Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four Naira, Ninety-Six Kobo (NGN8,807,264,834.96) monies belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT, that was not remitted to TSA Account of the Federal Government was also recovered
iii. The Sum of One Hundred and Fourteen Million, Two Hundred And Ninety Thousand Naira, (NGN 114,290,000.00) in relation to the December 10th, 2016, National And State Assembly Re-Run Elections in Rivers State Of Nigeria was recovered from twenty-three (23) INEC Electoral officials.
RECOVERY OF NON-CASH ITEMS
· The Nigeria Police Force in the fight against Economic Sabotage and pipeline vandalism related crimes recovered two (2) Vessels, seven (7) Speed Boats, eight-three (83) Trucks, twenty-five assorted Cars including Jeeps, thirty-six (36) Buses, twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles, five Speed Boat engines and thirty-eight (38) pumping/Drilling Machines and Generators.
Summary of Monetary and Non-Monetary Assets recovered
The total recoveries of Monetary and Non-Monetary Assets of the Federal Government by the Nigeria Police Force are:
(a) MONETARY ASSETS
· Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cents ($470,519,889.10).
· Eight Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-One Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four Naira and Ninety-Six Kobo (NGN 8,921,554,834.96).
(b) NON-MONETARY ASSETS:
· Two (2) Vessels
· Seven (7) Speed Boats
· Eighty-three (83) Tanker Trucks
· Sixty-one (61) assorted Vehicles
· Five (5) Speed Boats Engines
· Twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles
· Thirty-eight (38) Pumping/Drilling Machines and Generators.
6. While the Firearms Mop-up Operations and the recovery of monetary/non-monetary assets of Government are still ongoing, the Nigeria Police Force, therefore, implores Members of the Public with useful information that will assist the Police to report via the following contacts:
DIG Department of Operations: 08037025670
O/C IGP Special Investigation Panel: 08035891859
O/C IGP Monitoring Unit: 08032451594
O/C IGP Intelligence Response Team: 09098049333
- The commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of Lives and Property and recovery of Government assets in the hands of unpatriotic individual(s), group(s) or corporate bodies across the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.
Ag. DCP JIMOH MOSHOOD
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA
29-year-old man commits suicide in Jos
Mr Paul Majie, a 29-year-old unemployed man, on Thursday committed suicide in his room at Dadin-Kowa in Jos South Local Government of Plateau.
Shocked neighbours, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the incident, said that Majie’s lifeless body was found hanging in his room in the morning.
“We do not know why he did that, but we suspect he killed himself out of frustration,” a neighbour, who refused to disclosed his name, told NAN.
Efforts to speak with his family members proved abortive as they appeared to distraught to discuss the matter with anyone.
Mr Terna Tyopev, Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Police Command in Plateau, who confirmed the incident to NAN, said that Majie’s body lifeless body was found hanging in the morning.
“Today, at about 7:15.a.m, one Augustine Nyam of Dadin-Kowa area of Jos reported at our Rantya Division that Mr. Paul Majie had committed suicide.
“Our detectives were immediately dispatched to the scene of crime. On arrival, they brought down his motionless body and took it to the Specialist Hospital, Jos.
“Unfortunately, the doctor on duty confirmed him dead and the body was deposited at the mortuary in the same hospital, “he said.
Tyopev said that an autopsy would be conducted on the dead body to ascertain the real cause of his death.
He also said that investigation on the case was ongoing (NAN)
Army evacuates water from Jos pond in search of missing General
The Nigeria Army is evacuating water from a mining pond at Dura, Du District, Jos South Local Government of Plateau, in search of Idris Alkali, a missing retired Major General.
Alkali, immediate past Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on the 3rd of September. He was on his way to Bauchi after leaving Abuja in the morning.
Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohammed, Garrison Commander, 3 Division Garrison, Nigeria Army, Rukuba, Jos addressed newsmen on Thursday, shortly after the commencement of the evacuation.
Mohammed, who is the commander of the search and rescue operation, said that after thorough search and investigation, the army stumbled on some intelligence that made it necessary to search the water body.
“In carrying out a directive from the Army headquarters, a thorough search was conducted, hospitals were visited, we searched everywhere.
“Based on credible intelligence, we had to come to this place and we have been here for the last one week.
“We are trying to find three things – an officer, Maj. Gen. Alkali (rtd), who is still missing, his vehicle, a black Toyota Corrolla, and also ascertain whether Alkali is alive or not.
“We have credible information that some vehicles were pushed into this river and we have been here for the last three days trying to see if we can salvage something from the river.
“The river is a mining site and therefore very deep. We have used all options but as a last resort, we will evacuate the water from the pond to see what is in it,” he said.
Meanwhile, some women, numbering about 500 and clad in black, have stormed the river to protest the evacuation of the water.
Mrs. Mary Yakubu, leader of the protesters, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the water had been part of the community over time, adding that it had “a huge cultural significance”.
“If the water is evacuated, it could lead to the death of our sons and husbands,” she claimed.
But Gen. Mohammed, in a reaction, said that nothing would stop the army from evacuating the water.
“The only thing that can stop us is a directive from the Army Hadquarters,” he declared. (NAN)
APC inaugurates screening and appeals committee ahead of primaries
Mr Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), has inaugurated a high-level legislative screening and appeals committee for the party’s 386 Senate, and 1,587 House of representatives aspirants.
Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, former Edo governor, Mr Timipre Sylva, Ahmad Sani Yerima, Ken Nnamani, Sharon Ikeazor, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, and Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora are among heads of the committees which were inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 15 APC State Governors seeking re-election in 2019 were drilled by the APC Screening committee ahead of its party primaries.
The governors, who were screened at the campaign office of the APC national chairman included governors of Imo, Zamfara, Oyo, Borno and Nasarawa states.
The above governors were screened for senate position, while second term governors seeking re-election were also screened
Governors seeking re-election included: Kaduna state, Nasir EL-Rufai, governors of Niger, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa, Plateau, Lagos and , Bauchi states.
Speaking to newsmen separately after appearing before the screening committee, all the governors noted that the screening was more or less a formality.
They expressed confidence that they had no reason to entertain fear over their re-election.
Bauchi State Governor, Muhammed Abubakar, told newsmen that the defection of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, would not affect the fortune of the party in the state or his re-election bid.
He added that the Speaker represented a constituency that had a total of 70, 000 registered voters, saying that he won election with a margin of 393,000 in 2015.
The governor, however, said that Bauchi state had adopted the indirect primaries to choose the party’s candidates for all elective offices in 2019 general elections.
“The position of the State Executive in Bauchi which they took while I was away in China with President Muhamnadu Buhari was for indirect primary.
“The Constitution of the party provides for indirect. The last NEC meeting allows for the State Executive Committee to take charge and determine for themselves what type of primary they want to adopt and Bauchi chose indirect,” he said.
Speaking on the recent gale of defection after going through the screening, Gov. Umar Ganduje of Kano said the state chapter of the party gained more members than those that left.
He described those that left the party as nomadic politicians.
He added that the exit of former Kano State Governor and Senator representing Kano central, Rabiu Kwankwaso from the party had been naturalised with the entry of another former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shakarau to the party.
He added that his experience with the screening committee was the easiest because he had no challenger.
“The screening went on successfully. My own took less than three minutes then I bowed and left because I have no challenger in APC governorship primary in Kano state,” he said.
The governor of Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi, however, said that he had no anointed aspirant as all the contestants weree qualified and capable of governing the state.
“The screening is a normal process and it is just to access your eligibility as well as ability to win, and I think that has been done.
He said that Oyo state had also adopted the indirect primary to choose the party’s candidates for all elective offices for 2019 general elections.
“We have so many people who are eminently qualified aspirants and for me, I have given them free hands, let them talk to all party members. And whoever they want among them, I am okay,” he said.
In his own reaction, Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, said that the party’s stakeholders had met and decided to settle for the direct primary in the state.
Bello, who was also seeking re-election, told newsmen after his screening that all APC stakeholders in his state were on the same page as regard the mode of primary election.
Asked on the strategies he is putting in place to ensure APC’ victory at the general elections in Niger, the governor said: “With the adoption of the direct primary the party is becoming more popular.
“We will try as much as possible to uphold fairness and justice in the party, and give everyone equal opportunity to vie for any position they want.
“We will ensure that by God’s grace we have outstanding victory in 2019,” he said.
Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara while supporting the use of indirect method of primary in states, said his colleagues, who had opted for the mode, were mostly on ground and would easily adapt to any of the options for primary election.(NAN)