Arms: Why Amotekun, Benue corps may not get AK-47 licence
There are strong indications that moves by some governors to secure licences for their respective volunteer corps to carry assault rifles and combat the raging insecurity in their domain may continue to hit a brick wall.
This is because the embargo on the issuance of fresh firearms licences imposed on the police since 2013 have yet to be lifted, repeatedly bringing to naught efforts by some states to arm their security outfits and defend residents in their domain.
Sources in the police told Saturday PUNCH that there was no plan to lift the embargo due to the insecurity across the country. They ruled out the possibility of lifting the embargo anytime soon, saying plans by the governors to write the President may not yield any result.
The latest to declare his intention to request for the licence was the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who said on Thursday after inaugurating the state’s Community Volunteer Guards, that he would legally procure Ak-47, Ak-49 and other sophisticated weapons for the guards.
He lamented that the Federal Government had consistently failed to disarm terrorists rampaging through the streets, killing people, abducting innocent persons and destroying people’s property, as he noted that no fewer than 5,000 persons had been killed in the state since 2015.
“The issue of AK-47, AK-49 and other weapons are the prerogative of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is why in my inauguration speech today, I said we will seek, and by tomorrow, I’m submitting a letter to the president to grant a licence for AK-47, AK49 to our community volunteer guards,” he said in an interview on Arise TV on Thursday night.
While the Firearms Act allows the president to exercise his powers to grant licence through the Inspector-General of Police, successive IGPs prior to the emergence of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) as the President in 2015 had retained the licensing embargo.
Prior to Ortom’s statement on Thursday, governors Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and Aminu Masari of Katsina State had asked the residents of their respective states to defend themselves, owing to the worsening insecurity across the country. Despite the opposition by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Matawalle insisted that residents of the state must carry guns.
Similarly, governors in the South-West had while establishing the Amotekun Corps expressed their desire to arm the members of the vigilance group. They had written to the Inspector-General of Police to secure a licence for the Amotekun Corps, but the request, according to findings, has yet to be approved.
The then Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, had said the police would follow laid-down rules in considering the request.
Meanwhile, an aide to Ortom confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the governor had yet to write the letter as promised, but that he would do so next week.
Some top commanders of the Amotekun Corps also told The PUNCH on Thursday that they were still making efforts to secure the licence.
Police keep mum
When contacted on Friday to comment on whether or not the embargo would be lifted on account of renewed requests by governors, the Force Public Relations Officer, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached for comment.
Prior to Ortom’s statement on Thursday, governors Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and Aminu Masari of Katsina State had asked the residents of their respective states to defend themselves, owing to the worsening insecurity across the country. Despite the opposition by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Matawalle insisted that residents of the state must carry guns.
Similarly, governors in the South-West had while establishing the Amotekun Corps expressed their desire to arm the members of the vigilance group. They had written to the Inspector-General of Police to secure a licence for the Amotekun Corps, but the request, according to findings, has yet to be approved.
The then Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, had said the police would follow laid-down rules in considering the request.
Meanwhile, an aide to Ortom confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the governor had yet to write the letter as promised, but that he would do so next week.
Some top commanders of the Amotekun Corps also told The PUNCH on Thursday that they were still making efforts to secure the licence.
Police keep mum
When contacted on Friday to comment on whether or not the embargo would be lifted on account of renewed requests by governors, the Force Public Relations Officer, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached for comment.
“The best thing to do if you cannot renew your licence is to go and drop it at the public armoury and they will keep it for you. If you have a gun and your licence is expired, it is dangerous and criminal to keep holding that weapon.
“When you have an expired licence, it is as good as if you don’t have a licence. The normal thing to do is that if they can’t renew the licence for you, take it to the public armoury or you hand it over to the police.”
When reminded that the insecurity in the country was getting worse and that asking people to submit their weapons could expose them to more danger, Adejobi said there was no way a law enforcement agency like the police would be promoting the proliferation of arms or tolerate finding arms in the wrong hands.
He added, “In fact, if you come to our office that you want to renew your licence and we see that you can’t renew, the best thing for the armourer in charge is to collect it from you. The best thing, like I said, is to submit it to the police and it will be kept safely. When the time comes for the government to renew such weapons, it is still your property. You can still follow due process. But for now that they can’t renew it for you, go and keep it with the police.”
The Force PRO frowned at instances where people used their guns to threaten others, adding that it was unacceptable for people to misuse the opportunity to bear weapons.
Arms recovered nationwide
On the number of arms recovered nationwide, Adejobi noted that over 2,000 sophisticated arms and tens of thousands of ammunition had been recovered.
He said, “From April 2021 till date, 2,921 sophisticated arms and 58,431 ammunition have been recovered.” I don’t want to call it seizure of arms; I would say recovery, because anytime the police go out for operations, we recover arms, and we don’t give them back to the owner.”
Three months killings
At least 1,833 deaths were recorded from violent incidents including attacks from Boko Haram, militia herdsmen and gang clashes between April and June 2022.
The figures are mainly cases of killings reported by various media outfits in the country within the period which was collated by SBM intelligence.
Out of these were 1,154 civilians; 71 security agents; 288 terrorists; 160 bandits; 40 cultists; 43 kidnappers and 19 members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.
Of the 71 security agents killed, 37 were policemen; 31 vigilantes; 31 soldiers; three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and three officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
According to the report, 432 deaths were recorded within the period in the North-West; 526 in the North-East; North-Central, 478; South-West, 107; South-East, 132; and South-South, 158.
He said, “From April 2021 till date, 2,921 sophisticated arms and 58,431 ammunition have been recovered.” I don’t want to call it seizure of arms; I would say recovery, because anytime the police go out for operations, we recover arms, and we don’t give them back to the owner.”
Three months killings
At least 1,833 deaths were recorded from violent incidents including attacks from Boko Haram, militia herdsmen and gang clashes between April and June 2022.
The figures are mainly cases of killings reported by various media outfits in the country within the period which was collated by SBM intelligence.
Out of these were 1,154 civilians; 71 security agents; 288 terrorists; 160 bandits; 40 cultists; 43 kidnappers and 19 members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.
Of the 71 security agents killed, 37 were policemen; 31 vigilantes; 31 soldiers; three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and three officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
According to the report, 432 deaths were recorded within the period in the North-West; 526 in the North-East; North-Central, 478; South-West, 107; South-East, 132; and South-South, 158.
Source: The Punch
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