The police command in Osun has called on illegal gun owners to surrender them at the nearest Divisional Police Headquarters voluntarily.

The command said this in a statement by its spokeswoman, Yemisi Opalola.

The command explained that the move was in compliance with the directive of the inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, aimed at addressing the proliferation of illegal firearms.

“There are no punitive measures attached to the submission of the firearms. No one will be arrested or detained,” the police promised.

On August 8, Mr Egbetokun said the police had stopped issuing licences for small arms in Nigeria.

“We are mopping up arms in circulation. There are too many arms in circulation, and if we continue to issue licenses on arms, we may continue to aggravate the problems we are trying to solve,” said the police chief. “For now, there is temporary ban on issuance of firearms. We May review it later, but we are not issuing firearms licenses nationwide now.”

The Firearm Act has been responsible for the control of firearms in Nigeria for the past years. The act provides that no person “shall have in his possession or under his control any firearm or ammunition except such person has a licence from the president or the inspector general of police.”

Mr Egbetokun also announced the establishment of an ad hoc committee tasked with the comprehensive review of firearms licensing and regulations by the Nigeria Police Force in line with the Firearms Act and other extant laws in the interest of public safety and general security.

The committee’s mandate includes a thorough assessment of current firearms licensing procedures and regulations to enhance their effectiveness, transparency, and accountability.

(NAN)