IGP Bans Issuance Of New Arms Licences
In his renewed move to curb the proliferation of arms and thuggery, the inspector-general of police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has banned the issuance of new firearms licences to individuals.
This was disclosed to journalists in Lagos yesterday by force police public relations officer Frank Mba, at the pull-out ceremony of some top police officers at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.
Mba said that arms proliferation and thuggery were among security challenges the police intended to arrest without further delay.
He said the police had recovered several arms through intelligence gathering, adding that the development informed the IGP's decision to freeze the issuance of new licences for arms.
Mba disclosed that the police authorities had evolved strategies to monitor Nigerian borders, especially water areas, stressing that the Marine Police had been equipped to manage the country's territorial waters to stop illegal arms from entering the country.
According to him, there is working synergy among the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Customs Services to arrest the trend. Mba also said that locally made guns were also a problem for Nigeria, stating that the police had done their best to fish out arms manufacturers in the country and destroy the weapons publicly.
Mba hinted that Abubakar had warned officers against attaching policemen to persons who were not qualified to have police orderlies, declaring that any officer caught in the act would be sanctioned
Jonathan faces the worst security challenges - Ex-CDS In Abuja yesterday, the immediate past chief of defence staff, Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, said President Goodluck Jonathan was facing the greatest security problems that Nigeria had ever witnessed in recent times and urged the military and other security agencies to rise up to the situation.
Ibrahim in his valedictory speech at his pulling out ceremony from the Nigerian Navy at Mogadishu Cantonment parade ground, attended by all service chiefs, a representative of the inspector-general of police, defence attaches from some countries and serving and retired military top brass said, 'I must commend the commitment of the commander-in-chief in the ongoing efforts to surmount the lingering security challenges facing the country. These are challenging times for the armed forces. We have learnt a lot of lessons. Like I often say, by these experiences, our armed forces will come out stronger. Indeed, no leader in recent past has been so confronted with daunting and complicated security challenges like the incumbent commander-in-chief.
'In the face of all these distractions, however, he has shown exemplary courage in confronting the monster. I have no doubt in my mind that his commitment and goodwill will continue to spur the Nigerian Armed Forces to deal decisively with evil forces that are bent on destroying our bonds of brotherhood. The armed forces of Nigeria and other security agencies must continue to work in collaboration and put in their best in the defence and security of our dear country,' he said.
On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Ismaila, commended Admiral Ibrahim for his 'uprightness, doggedness, loyalty and sincerity' while in service. 'He has done his best for the country. On behalf of the ministry, I congratulate him on his success and achievements while in office. He is sincere, straightforward, loyal, and hardworking. I urge every serving officer to emulate him,' Ismaila said.
His successor, Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, commended Ibrahim for the milestone reached by the military under his watch and pledged to build upon the foundation he had laid.
'Without a doubt, Admiral Ola Ibrahim's cool headedness and high degree of patience contributed to the remarkable feats he recorded as the CDS and the legacies he has left for us. Unarguably, one of the admiral's most remarkable legacies was his dogged determination to transform the armed forces of Nigeria into a cohesive force that has remained ever committed to the protection of Nigeria's unity and larger national interests. To this, he remained passionately committed up to his last day in office,' he said.