Lagos Banned OPC
The
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko yesterday said it is
a criminal offence for members of vigilante groups to carry rifles.
Manko’s reaction may not be unconnected with the killing of four undergraduate
students of the University of Port Harcourt by suspected members of a
vigilante group at the instance of their village head. The Lagos State
police boss said vigilante groups are supposed to work with the police
at the local level.
“They can arrest
suspects and hand them over to the police whose responsibility it is to
investigate and prosecute if the need arises. It is a criminal offence
for members of the vigilante to carry guns,” he maintained.
Manko
said anyone seen with a gun must have a valid license for it and such
individual must have been duly screened by the appropriate authorities.
“So it is a crime for one to have a privately licensed gun and in turn
hand over same to vigilante group for security purposes,” he said.
Manko
explained that if a vigilante member is arrested with a rifle issued to
him by another person they will be arrested for illegal possession of
fire arms.
He
noted that members of the vigilante are there to complement efforts of
the police, not to usurp the responsibility of the police. It will be
recalled that four undergraduate students
of the University of Port Harcourt were gruesomely killed by suspected
members of a vigilante group at Aluu community in Rivers State.
The
Inspector General of Police has vowed to fish out the killers, saying
such barbaric act cannot be tolerated in any part of the country.
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