The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Abutu Yaro has warned criminals in possession of firearms belonging to security agencies in the state to return them on or before the twelfth of this month, ABN TV reports.
He said failure to comply with this directive, the police would embark on mop-up of the arms at the expiration of the ultimatum and those caught with the weapons would face the full weight of the law.
He made this known on Sunday while parading the bodies of five gunmen killed in Owerri on Sunday after repelling an attack on the Imo Police Command Headquarters.
Security forces who carried out the operation is made up of the Police, Military, and Department of State Security.
The Commissioner of Police who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer in charge of the Command Mr. Bala Elkana said the hoodlums met their waterloo during a failed attempt to attack the Imo state government house and police headquarters.
He said the gang led by one of the deceased popularly known as “Dragon” was responsible for the attacks on security personnel, police facilities, and government property in the state.
Mr. Elkana said a member of the gang was apprehended during the operation noting that confessional statement from the suspect led to the dislodgement of their camp in Ikeduru local government area of the state and subsequent freeing of a woman police officer abducted by the gang on Tuesday last week.
The suspect Stanley Osinachi who hails from Mbieri in Mbaitoli local government area of Imo state confessed to the crime noting that they were on a mission to attack security agencies before his men fell to the superior firepower of security agencies.
Items recovered from the gang were two buses, four AK47 rifles, locally made explosive devices, and charms.
