The Federal Government has seized 1,500 double-barrelled guns imported by the Zamfara State government for distribution to its vigilance group.
Sources close to the administration told Sunday Tribune that the inspector General of Police had ordered the seizure of the guns said to have been imported from Ukraine by the state government.
It was learnt that the Federal Government ordered the seizure of the guns based on the alleged contravention of firearms laws of the land.
Sources, however, said that the Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, is unhappy with the development and was contemplating instituting legal action against the police.
A source said that the governor felt betrayed by the police hierarchy, which was said to have granted a silent approval to the state to import the arms.
It was, however, confirmed that no official clearance was received from the president before the importation.
Investigations revealed that when the state was facing serious challenge of armed robbery in 2012, the governor reached an agreement with the state police commissioner on the need to set up a vigilance group. It was also said that the meeting agreed that the vigilance groups should be armed.
The governor then decided to import double-barrelled guns which he hoped would be licensed by the police.
A source said: “The governor ordered for 1,500 double-barrelled guns through a dealer in Kano who got supplies from Ukraine.’
But the federal government had ordered the repatriation of the guns to Abuja because there was no clearance to import them.
Another source said that the importation was done in a way to tactically bypass the presidency because of the belief that individuals can buy double-barrelled and apply for licence.
It was also gathered that the state government believed that the Inspector-General of Police would give approval for the guns because he was an indigene of the state who was also aware of the security challenges of the state.
“Due to the brouhaha and outrage the issue generated and in order to avoid a presidential hammer, the police had to follow the rules and now the IG had ordered that the guns be taken to the Force Headquarters. They were being taken to Abuja right now,” a source in the know said.
The Senate was last week involved in a near fisticuffs when two senators engaged each other over a debate on the Zamfara vigilance issue.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the state governor was saddened by the apparent betrayal and had vowed to take the federal government and the police to court
Source: Tribune
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