The Special Anti-Rob¬bery Squad, (SARS) Anambra State Police Commandhas arrested a 52-year-old notorious arms dealer, Alphon¬sus Ngwu just as it also re¬covered 8,000 rounds of live ammunition at the Onitsha Main Market.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Usman Gwary told Sunday Sun that the command received a tip-off, which led to the invasion of the market by a team of police led by Com¬mander of SARS, Supol Jame Nwafor. At the end of the opera¬tion, the team was able to recov¬er over 8,000 rounds of live ammunition, six pump action guns; one revolver, 6,390 live cartridges; 62 rounds of 5.65mm live ammunition; 12 magazines for AK47 and 100 rounds of air rifle ammunition.
He said his men also recov¬ered two magazine for K-2ri¬fles, dismantled parts of AK 47 GPMG and one smoke cartridge. Gwary accused the suspect of supplying arms and ammunition to armed robbers and kidnappers in the state.
He also accused the suspect of being a major arms supplier to criminals in the South-east, South-west and in the north¬ern part of the country, adding that Ngwu was arrested for the same offence by men of SARS in 2002 and 2003. He disclosed that his case was taken over by the Federal SARS at Ad¬eniji-Adele, Lagos after which he was allegedly released and continued with his illegal business.
Ngwu who hails from Ugwoba in Orji Rivers Local Government, Enugu State, in an interview with Sunday Sun said although he has never been involved in robbery nor kidnapping, he admitted to having dealt in arms in the last 15 years.
“I am not involved in rob¬bery and kidnapping I have been into arms dealing for 15 years now, I get the arms from abroad.
“I have one Alhaja in the North who is currently in pris¬on somewhere. She was the main person who connected me. I get my arms from Coto¬nou, Ghana, Mali, and Niger Republic,” he confessed.
Gwary revealed that the suspect made an attempt to escape and was shot in the legs. He explained that the police discovered from the suspect’s record that two units of AK 47 were recently sold for N620,000.
“Also the suspect sponsored the Ezza/Ezilo war among other crises,” he alleged.
“We are not taking any chance again. We are going after them. We discovered through information that some suspects are still there doing the same illegal business,” he stated.
Gwary appreciated mem¬bers of public who supplied the police with vital informa¬tion that led to the arrest of the suspect. He added: “My major mission is to chase armed robbers and kidnappers out of Anambra State. We want the people’s cooperation. I can assure you that very soon kidnapping and armed robbery will soon become things of the past.” He solicited the support of traders at Onitsha Market in providing the command with useful information that will aid the police in combating crimes in the market, just as he prom¬ised that the suspect would be charged to court soon.
Source: Sun
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