How Lagos Assembly Member Was Arrested Over Firearms

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Facts have emerged on how one of the members of Lagos State House of Assembly was arrested for illegal possession of firearms with two of his suspected thugs.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that this was confirmed by the police in the State. The Lagos State Police Command said that the resolve of the Force to mop up illegal and prohibited firearms in the hands of those who failed to take advantage of the grace period offered by the Inspector General of Police to surrender their guns to police formations nearest to them, had yielded positive dividend following the arrest of three persons in possession of prohibited firearms.

The first and second suspect namely, Wale Oye, 37, and Ganiyu Ajiboluwa, 47, were arrested on 12^th July, 2018, at about 1745hrs by a team of Inspector General of Police X-Squad operatives on patrol along Festac Extention by Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin. A single barrel Mossverg pump action rifle with identification number B/NO D512429, one Zirve Magnum pump action rifle with number B/NO 45639 and two live cartridges were recovered from the aforementioned suspects.

During interrogation, the suspects claimed that the guns were given to them by one Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Lagos State House of Assembly, to escort him to a political rally. The Honourable member was arrested and he admitted ownership of the guns. To further prove that the weapons were his, he produced expired licences dated 2015 and 2016 respectively.  He however, could not justify his refusal to surrender the guns during the window period offered by the Inspector General of Police in the last nationwide mop up of illegal firearms and ammunition exercise.

According to CSP Chike Oti, Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State, investigations were on and further findings on the matter will be communicated to the general public as usual.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, assured that the Command will soon rid the state of illegal and prohibited firearms as the taskforce constituted for that purpose will soon embark on house to house search for illegally possessed guns.