A Lagos lawmaker has been arrested for being in possession of unlawful firearms after two of his boys were arrested by the police in Festac.
47-year-old Dipo Olorunrinu, a lawmaker representing Amuwo Odofin at the Lagos Assembly has been arrested for being in possession of unlawful firearms.
Honourable Olorunrinu was arrested following the arrest of two men with guns by men of the Nigerian Police Force on Thursday, July 12, 2018.
Olorunrinu's arrest has been confirmed by CSP Chike Oti, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command.
How Olorunrinu was arrested
In a statement by Oti, two suspects were arrested on Thursday, July 12, 2018 around 5pm for being in possession of firearms.
"The first and second suspect, namely, Wale Oye, male, age 37 years and Ganiyu Ajiboluwa, male, age 47 years were arrested on 12/07/2018, at about 1745hrs by a team of Inspector General of Police X-Squad operatives on patrol along Festac Extention by Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin.
"During interrogation, the suspects claimed the guns were given to them by one Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu, male, age 47 years, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) 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," the statement reads in part.
ALSO READ: FG drags Suswam to court over illegal arms possession
Olorunrinu's firearms have expired licences
After his arrest, Olorunrinu's guns were found to have expired licences.
This was known when the lawmaker produced expired licences dated 2015 and 2016 respectively for the guns when he tried to prove that the weapons were his.
According to the Lagos PPRO, "a single barrel Mossverg Pump action rifle with identification number B/NO D512429, one Zirve Magnum Pump action rifle with number B/NO 45639 and two live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
"He however, could not justify his refusal to surrender the guns during the window period offered by the Inspector General of Police in the last nationwide mop up of illegal firearms and ammunition exercise."
The Lagos State Police Command reiterated its resolve to mop up illegal and prohibited firearms in the hands of those who failed to take advantage of the grace period offered by the Inspector General of Police to surrender their guns to police formations nearest to them.