Abdulwahab Isa 
The police yesterday condemned the backdating of firearm licenses by some Nigerians, saying the possession of guns and ammunition by individuals without permits is illegal.
Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi at a press conference in Abuja warned against possession of arms. He said: “For those who are working 24 hours to bring in arms to Nigeria, it is a criminal offence.
“Any prohibited arms found in your possession can take you to prison. “You don’t need to even struggle to get any of these arms. “It’s a criminal offence and we don’t encourage anyone to have one.
“For now, we have banned the use of arms and ammunition in Nigeria. “If you want to get your arms, you need to wait until the government lifts the ban. “Prohibited firearms or whatever you want to call it.
Don’t be deceived. “Certain individuals will go and backdate licenses to give you, but it’s still fake. “So, I want to appeal to Nigerians, don’t be deceived. “Most of those agents who are arms dealers, many of them are funny and they can be so dubious.
“Don’t allow anybody to lead you into committing criminal offences, particularly when it comes to the issue of arms. “We are going to take it more seriously, and we are going to go after those who are in possession of arms illegally.
“It’s an offence, and it remains offensive and punishable under the law.” Giving an update on the #EndBadGovernance protests, he said they arrested 873 individuals in Kano, Jigawa, FCT, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, Borno, Edo, and Gombe.
Adejobi said: “These arrests were made in connection with various criminal activities such as armed robbery, arson, and vandalism. “Among the recoveries were two AK-47 rifles, assorted live ammunition, stolen items worth billions of naira, and Russian flags from the protesters.
“Additionally, a coordinated effort with other security agencies led to the arrest of nine suspects involved in a plot to destabilize the government with alleged foreign financial support”.
Spokesman for the Nigeria Customs Service (NIS) Abdullahi Maiwada said they had reduced smuggling to the barest minimum.
