Lagos lawmaker arrested for unlawful arms possession
The police in Lagos have arrested a member of the state House of Assembly, Dipo Olorunrinu, for alleged unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.
The lawmaker was apprehended after two guns were recovered from two suspects – Wale Oye and Ganiyu Ajiboluwa – who allegedly confessed to have collected the arms from Olorunrinu.
The state police spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, in a statement on Saturday, said the firearms were intercepted in the FESTAC area of the state by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police X-Squad.
Oti explained that the team was on patrol to mop up illegal firearms following the expiration of the licence given to individuals in possession of guns and the directive to the affected persons to surrender them to the police.
He said a single-barrelled Mossverg Pump action rifle, one Zirve Magnum Pump action rifle, and two live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
“The suspects, namely Wale Oye, 37; and Ganiyu Ajiboluwa, 47, were arrested on July 12, 2018 at about 1745hrs by a team of the Inspector-General of Police X-Squad operatives on patrol along the FESTAC Extension, by Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin,” the statement read.
“However, during interrogation, the suspects claimed the guns were given to them by one Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu, 47, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Lagos State House of Assembly, to escort him to a political rally.
“The honourable member was arrested and he admitted ownership of the guns. To further prove that the weapons are his, he produced expired licences dated 2015 and 2016 respectively. He, however, could not justify his refusal to surrender the guns during the window period offered by the IG in the last nationwide mop-up of illegal firearms and ammunition exercise,” the statement added.
The spokesperson said investigation was going on.
