Illegal Fabrication of AK-47 Ongoing in Lagos, CP Tells IG

The fabrication of AK-47s and other firearms in Lagos State is worrisome, Commissioner of Police Idowu Owohunwa said yesterday.

He raised the alarm during the inauguration of the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) by the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.

Owohunwa said there was increasing local expertise in the fabrication of firearms, including replicas of foreign-made pistols, AK47s and other assault rifles.

This trend, coupled with the threat of cultism, he said, potent security danger.

Aside from the threat of cultism, the CP said other threats include armed robbery, kidnapping, murder and sexual and gender-based violence.

“We are also constantly confronted with the challenge of dissecting and dealing with the thin line between the civil and criminal dynamics of land disputes which are also prevalent in the state.

“Also of routine concern is the traffic gridlock and the attendant occasional traffic robberies which are compounded by ongoing road projects across the state including, in particular, the Lagos-Ibadan highway.

“The crime profile of the state is further accentuated by the prevalence of illegal firearms proliferation, and illicit drug abuse and trafficking.

“Hardly does a day pass by without the ever vigilant operatives of the command recovering weapons and illicit drugs of various descriptions at stop and search points, raids of black spots, and other operational engagements with all such recoveries linked to the perfection of crimes across the State.

“Most worrisome in all these is a noticeable trend that indicates an increasing local expertise in the fabrication of various types of firearms including replicas of foreign-made pistols, AK47s and other assault rifles.

“This trend, coupled with the threat of cultism, poses a potent danger to the security space of Lagos State if nothing drastic is done by all strategic state actors and the citizens to complement the efforts of the Police in rolling back the dangerous tide.”

The CP said officers of the command have embraced the IGP’s vision of intelligence-led, citizens-driven, and operationally proactive policing.

“We are also leveraging our strong inter-agency synergy with the Department of State Services, the military detachments in the state and other state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies in the state.

“Above all, we are adopting a problem-solving framework that is founded on the policing principle of zero-tolerance to crime, the practice of crime-mapping, and utilisation of crime statistics and intelligence analysis tools to support perspective policing,” he said.

Egbetokun said the effects of a new policing strategy would soon be felt across the country.

Calling for patience and collaboration, he reiterated his commitment to ensuring that armed violence and other forms of criminality were reduced to the barest minimum.

The IG said CRU was not to witch-hunt anyone but to promote accountability and transparency.

On insecurity along the Abuja-Kaduna axis, Egbetokun said the first batch of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) was set for deployment to pilot states.

“Very soon, the SIS will become operational in the pilot states. Just give us a little more time and you will start seeing our actions delivering results.

“With regard to welfare, luckily, we have a government in place that cares so much about the welfare of the police and understands the security challenges in the police.

“I have the assurances of Mr. President that efforts are already underway to bring smiles to the faces of policemen in Nigeria.”

The IG said the police would soon have a vibrant forensic department, noting that the service was addressing issues one after the other.

He said CRU would also be set up in other states, adding: “Officers that would be deployed to man the CRU will be carefully selected with impeccable integrity.

“They will be so well motivated with opportunities for training overseas if necessary.”

Addressing officers and men after unveiling the CRU, the IGP warned them against extortion, unethical and unprofessional conduct.

He reminded them that policing actions must be geared towards building trust and getting the necessary support from the people.

Egbetokun told them: “Shun extortion because it is giving us a bad image. True blessing comes from God. If you want God’s blessing, you won’t engage in extortion.”

The CRU was built with support from former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Olumide Apata, Airtel Nigeria and 9Mobile.

Aside from being a platform for complaints against police operatives, it would serve as a crime reporting platform, with incident numbers generated for tracking.

Activist-lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), lauded the initiative, stressing that it was in line with the provisions of the Police Act, 2020.

He promised to sponsor the establishment of four CRUs in four different states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), praising the IG for being an exemplary officer in the 34 years he had known him with no negative report heard.

Falana advised police operatives against torture and unlawful detention, reminding them that the punishments as prescribed by the Police Act, 2020 were stiff.

“Torture has become a serious offence, it now attracts 25 years imprisonment if the suspect dies. Whoever is involved will be charged with murder.

“Very soon, we are starting visitations to police stations. Every month, the Chief Magistrate will visit every police station in Nigeria. During the visit, the Magistrate can grant bail, order the arraignment of a suspect or ask the suspect to go home.

“The Magistrate is also empowered to report any police officer who abuses the rights of suspects and as a matter of fact, Section 6 of the Police Establishment Act says every police station shall have a lawyer assigned to it to monitor human rights complaints.”

Akpata, who sought more support for the police, pledged to build more CRUs at Delta and Edo commands.

President of Women Arise, Dr. Josephine Okei-Odumakin, promised to undertake the training of the personnel to be deployed at the CRU.

She highlighted the importance of CRU to citizen-driven policing with statistics since its establishment at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.