The fabrication of AK-47s and other firearms in Lagos State is worrisome, Commissioner of Police Idowu Owohunwa said yesterday
He raised the alarm during the inauguration of the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) by the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.
Owohunwa said there was increasing local expertise in the fabrication of firearms, including replicas of foreign-made pistols, AK47s and other assault rifles.
This trend, coupled with the threat of cultism, he said, potent security danger.
Aside from the threat of cultism, the CP said other threats include armed robbery, kidnapping, murder and sexual and gender-based violence.
“We are also constantly confronted with the challenge of dissecting and dealing with the thin line between the civil and criminal dynamics of land disputes which are also prevalent in the state.
“Most worrisome in all these is a noticeable trend that indicates an increasing local expertise in the fabrication of various types of firearms including replicas of foreign-made pistols, AK47s and other assault rifles.
“This trend, coupled with the threat of cultism, poses a potent danger to the security space of Lagos State if nothing drastic is done by all strategic state actors and the citizens to complement the efforts of the Police in rolling back the dangerous tide.”
The CP said officers of the command have embraced the IGP’s vision of intelligence-led, citizens-driven, and operationally proactive policing.
