The Police in Cross River State have paraded 80 suspected criminals and recovered 332 arms and ammunition in the State.
Parading and displaying the arms, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Inuwa Hafiz said the command mopped up imported, English and locally made guns.
He listed the assorted cases to include 16 armed robbery suspects, 16 murder suspects, two criminals, 27 cultists, two defilement suspects, one impersonator, one unlawful possession of live ammunition and 332 assorted mopped arms.
CP Hafiz said: “The command has already inaugurated a committee of six persons under the chairmanship of ACP Simon Udofia to mop up all illegally/unlawfully acquired firearms from unauthorized users.”
He advised those who are yet to voluntarily surrender their illegally acquired firearms (locally fabricated or imported) to the committee to do so within one week or face the full wrath of the law.
“Failure to surrender, whistle blowers are enjoined to expose anyone known to be unlawfully in possession of such firearms to this committee whose secretariat is at the State CIID Headquarters or through mobile phone No 080283111953.”
He said financial reward awaits any genuine information given.
“The Command is not unmindful of the recent cult/communal clashes in the state, especially in Calabar South, eight miles in Calabar Municipality, some communities in Boki, Obubra and Obudu local government areas respectively.”
He solicited the support of traditional institutions, religious leaders, youths, community leaders, judiciary and the political class to join hands with the Police to fight the upsurge that tend to shatter the peace of the state.