*As Force PRO vows agency will go after culprits in possession of illegal arms
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has said, after expiration of deadline for voluntary surrender illegal weapons in wrongful hands across Nigeria, that it would go after all erring individuals including politicians without minding the colour of political party they belong.
Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) stated this during a phone-in programme on Faaji FM anchored in Lagos on Monday.
He warned politicians planning to cause violence at February and March general elections to stay cautioned as the foremost security agency he speaks for will spare no one found to be culprit in crime.
ACP Mba, who noted that people fighting for evil politicians sponsoring election violence were people not of voting age, asked why any sensible Nigerian would want to die for somebody who has no concern for him just for small price.
The Force PRO, who spoke in pidgin English, said, “The IGP has appealed to people still in possession of these illegal arms and soon when we begin to go after them who fail to avail themselves of this opportunity, we will go after you without looking at which party you belong to.
“Crime is crime, whether you commit it under election or not, we will go after you,” Frank Mba said.
Responding to question as to why killing still happened in Nigeria despite effort of security agencies, the police spokesman said: “This is still learning process for our politicians in Nigeria but we must make them to learn properly.”
On the voluntary surrender of weapons progress he said: “We have started receiving illegal arms from wrongful possession so much that even some of those that have licences to carry arms legally have come up with their arms and licences, expired requiring renewal or not, saying they don’t want arms again,” he said.
He then called on those still in possession of illegal weapons to be warned as, according to him, they would not be spared from the wrath of the law.
Mba also warned those busy planning how they would stage violence before, during after the coming elections to know that they would have the police and other security arms to contend with.
