Matilda Omonaiye/
The Lagos State Police Command has issued a two-week deadline for all private gun owners to submit their firearms and licences for validation and renewal.
The command issued the deadline in a release by its spokesman, SP Chike Oti, today.
Oti said the primary objective of the exercise was to enable the command update its database of firearms in private possession in the state.
According to the statement, the countdown to the deadline for submission of firearms and licences begins on the 23rd of this month, while the exercise will last till March 29.
The statement reads: “The Lagos State Police Command hereby calls on those issued with licence to bear pump action firearm or other repeating firearm operated by a slide action mechanism, by the Lagos State Police Command Firearms Registry(D7) to submit their weapons and licences to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the closest Police Station to their abode for verification, confirmation and revalidation.
“The move is to enable the command update its database with information about the owners, licences and the state of the firearms.
“The owners of the specified firearms are given two weeks grace period from the date of this publication (23/02/2018) to ready themselves for the exercise which will last till March 29, 2018.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State enjoins all licenced gun owners to take advantage of this revalidation programme as firearms found in the possession of anybody or group that did not participate in the exercise would be deemed as illegal. Such individual or group would be arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearm(s) in accordance with the provisions of Prohibited Firearms Act 2004, Laws of the Federation.”
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