Police In Osun State Arrests Manufacturer And Dealer Of Firearms In Ile Ife

In Osun State, police men have arrested a manufacturer and dealer of illegal firearms around Ile Ife.
Accoriding to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr . Fimihan Adeoye , who paraded the suspects , a 72 – year- old Adebowale Aderibigbe ( dealer ) and Akeem Nasiru ( manufacturer) before journalists in Osogbo on Friday,  their arrests were made possible following a tip- off .

He revealed that three guns and 350 unexpended cartridges were recovered from the septuagenarian while nine guns were recovered from Akeem , who claimed to be a blacksmith.

Adeoye said, 

“ We were able to arrest this manufacturer and the dealer of illegal firearms following a tip- off. Police detectives working on tip off arrested them on July 4 around Ile – Ife .

“ I am happy because, with this arrest , we have been able to cut off supply of firearms to the criminals . We are still investigating to know more and to arrest all those involved in this illegal trade. ”

Although the octogenarian said he had no license to sell arms and ammunition, he was a supplier to the Obafemi Awolowo University which he claimed contracted the job of supplying ammunition to its security unit .

Pa Aderibigbe , said one Igbo man supplied him ammunition but he did not know the man’s shop nor his name .

He said ,

 “ I supply the cartridges to OAU in fact , they gave me papers to supply them. The university gives the cartridges to their security personnel, who use them for security purposes and also to kill bats.

“ The policemen have gone to my house to search for the papers given to me. I don ’ t sell to criminals . A doctor gave me one of the guns to service for him and that is where I get my livelihood from . I am not a criminal .

Akeem also confessed that he does not have license to manufacture guns but he explained that he was a blacksmith, who inherited the job from his father .

He also said that he does not sell his products to criminal nor involved in crime .

He claimed he once worked as a ‘ cracker ’ at the OAU .