The Nigeria Police Force has issued a stern warning to citizens against purchasing backdated firearms licenses following a recent ban on the issuance of small arms permits.
The ban, which was enacted in August 2023, is part of efforts to curb the illegal proliferation of arms across the country.
Speaking at a joint briefing of the Strategic Communications and Inter-agency Policy Committee (SCIPC) on Thursday, Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, highlighted the dangers of patronizing individuals selling fake firearms licenses.
He emphasized that these documents are fraudulent and that offenders would face severe legal consequences.
“For now, we have banned the use of arms and ammunition in Nigeria. 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”, Adejobi said.
The police warned Nigerians to refrain from any form of illegal arms purchase, noting that possession of firearms is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
Adejobi also stressed that anyone found in possession of illegal arms faces imprisonment, urging citizens to wait until the government lifts the current ban.
In a related development, Adejobi provided updates on the ongoing investigation into British national Andrew Wynne and Nigerian citizen Lucky Obiyan, both accused of plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Bola Tinubu.
The police confirmed they are working with the Nigeria Immigration Service to determine Wynne’s immigration status.
“We still want to reiterate that Andrew Wynne and Lucky Obinyan are still wanted on our list. We have cases against them that involve subversion and attempts to take over the government forcefully,” Adejobi stated.
The police reaffirmed their commitment to preventing any foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs, including efforts to sponsor or finance terrorism and other destabilizing activities.
The Police have vowed to crack down on illegal arms dealers and collaborators, urging citizens to remain vigilant and cooperate with law enforcement in safeguarding the country.
