The arrests of the officers were effected, following the arrests of some armed robbers in Abuja, who confessed getting their arms and ammunition from the Customs official attached to the Niger State command.
The confession, our correspondent learnt, led to the arrest of the Customs inspector last Wednesday. Admitting that he committed the offence during interrogation, the Customs officer also mentioned the names of the two police inspectors attached to the armoury department of the state police command as being the suppliers of the ammunition sold to armed robbers.
On interrogation, the two policemen confessed to committing the crime in conjunction with the first suspect.
The trio were said to have since Friday been transferred to Abuja on the order of the Police High Command, for further investigation, with a view to getting to the root of the matter.
Efforts to get the commissioner of police to comment on the matter failed, but a senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the development, saying as soon as the arrests were made, the Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Desire Nsirim, directed that an inventory of the armoury be conducted.
According to the source, “as soon the incident was reported and arrests were made, the commissioner of police directed the officer- in-charge of operations at the command and his counterparts from the MOPOL to take the inventory of the arms and ammunition in the armoury.”
Our source, however, said the records at the armoury showed that the arms and ammunition of the command were intact, making the police high command to direct the Force CID in Abuja to unearth the mystery behind the supply by the arrested security personnel.
“The officers referred to the vouchers with which the command took its arms and ammunition from Lagos with a view to know where the two police officers were getting arms and ammunition they were selling, because our armoury is intact,” our source further said.
via Vanguard
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/48938-police%2C-customs-officers-arrested-for-%E2%80%98supplying%E2%80%99-robbers-gun.html
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