The Bauchi State Police Command, on Wednesday, assured the people of the state of adequate security during and after Saturday’s gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections.

The command disclosed that it has mopped up some illegal arms and ammunition in the state ahead of the elections.

Police spokesman in the state, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, stated these in a press release he signed and made available to DAILY POST in Bauchi, stating that the command had equally received some logistics supports, including Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), 37/38mm anti-riot guns, long and short-range shells, as well as two pick-up vehicles, from the Inspector-General of Police.

According to him, following the IGP’s directive to curb proliferation of small and light weapons, the command had mopped up illicit arms in several daring operations.

The police spokesman stated that the operations resulted in significant achievements of recovery of 23 illegal firearms from the hands of miscreants.

These, according to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), included: nine AK47 rifles; seven assorted locally-made firearms;
one Light Assault Rifle (LAR); six Dane guns, alongside 18 rifle magazines, while a total of 87 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres were equally recovered.

He stated that the live ammunition recovered were 22 rounds of live 7×62.51mm NATO ammunition; nine (58) rounds of live 7×62.39mm ammunition;
seven 9mm live ammunition; four machetes; one knife, while three military camouflages were equally recovered.

Wakil, a Superintendent of Police (SP), however, added that the state Commissioner of Police, Aminu Alhassan, had directed all Area Commanders, DPOs and Tactical Commanders in the state “to sustain an aggressive stance on cannon-fodders under whatever guise, who may be employed to obstruct the smooth and peaceful process of the 2023 general election in Bauchi State”.