Guber Polls: Ondo Police Command Shields Identities Of Owners Of Illegal Arms

…Edo Dismisses Enquiries

It’s unclear how many illegal arms have been mopped up in Ondo and Edo States ahead of the forthcoming governorship polls in both states, according to findings by THE WHISTLER.

In the case of Ondo, while the State Police Command admitted that arms were recovered, it hid the identities of the owners of such illegal arms and the number of arrests made so far.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Tee-Leo Ikoro, claimed that the information was not for public consumption when THE WHISTLER contacted him on Thursday.

Recall that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had on August 16th, ordered a nationwide clampdown on proliferation of prohibited firearms.

It was part of measures introduced, preparatory to the governorship polls in the states.

Adamu had particularly ordered commissioners of police in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to immediately initiate appropriate actions to “identify, isolate, disarm, arrest and prosecute any individual(s) or group(s) in possession of prohibited firearms.”

Also, the police boss had on August 30th accused some nameless politicians in the country of arming and moving political thugs, making of inciting statements during political campaigns that had a “high likelihood of violence and possible cross-attack by political opponents, misinformation/disinformation aimed at heating-up of the polity and deliberate efforts at de-legitimising government institutions involved in the electoral processes.” 

But, Ikoro said there was no need to publish the names of those who submitted their arms voluntarily.

He said: “If the command has recorded any success yet (identity of arrested, number of arms recovered), it is not going to be for the public knowledge, it will be to us, because it has to do with arms, right? It is not anything to publicise.

“If you had a gun and you submitted it voluntarily, there will be no need to publish your name because you have done what we needed you to do.”

Ikoro also did not say what law entitled the owners of the arms to acquire them in the first place. He also did not speak on whether arrests were made.

On his part, the spokesman of the Edo state police command, Chidi Nwabuzor, claimed that IGP’s directive was already belated.

Nwabuzor said: “That is belated, I am in a meeting, stakeholders meeting because of the forthcoming election.”

He ended the call abruptly before THE WHISTLER could ask further questions.

Several efforts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, failed as his mobile line was not reachable all through.

The Edo state governorship election comes up on September 19th.

THE WHISTLER recalls that only on Wednesday, the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, held a meeting with the key political players in the election to warn them about using arms to secure victory, as against credible polling.

In attendance were Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the All Progressives Congress’ flag bearer.

The Oba expressed his displeasure, noting that there might be no state for either of them to govern after the poll if they armed thugs to kill Edo people and raze their property for their own selfish reasons.

He also warned that thugs would not surrender their arms after the poll, but would keep them to continue to unleash mayhem on the state.

Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu pledged to maintain the peace during and after the election, a pledge that ended with a public embrace of each other.

The Oba’s fears confirmed the earlier alarm raised by the police that illegal arms were in circulation in the state in large numbers.

In Ondo, the election comes up in October 10th, a straight fight between the incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC and Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP.