Unlawful Possession of Arms: Delta Police Charges Udu Vigilante Suspects to Court

…Warns Vigilante Groups, Other Volunteers To Steer Clear From Election Matters.

The Delta State Police Command has charged to Court the trio of  Uvwiejitobor Akpevwe, Alfred Joseph, and David Ukiri all from Udu Local Government Area of Delta State for the unlawful possession of arms.

The suspects who claimed to be vigilante members detailed by their Local Government Chairman to escort their electoral materials after sorting and sharing, were arrested with arms, by a detachment of Police officers deployed to CBN to secure electoral materials,  who claim to be members of vigilante and were detailed by their chairman to escort electoral materials.

The three suspects were Wednesday, February 20, 2019 arraigned at Chief Magistrate Court Asaba to serve as a deterrent to who would be offenders and as well as to inform members of the public that the sole responsibility of securing INEC materials, INEC offices/officials, polling units, collation centers, racks rest squarely on the Police in collaboration with other approved security agencies.

In a Press Statement by the Police Command, signed by the Acting Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Chuks Oresewezie, reads in part;

“The Delta State Police Command is dismayed with the way and manner majority of the volunteer organizations are meddling into the election/security affairs. A reference point are the three (3) suspects viz David Ukiri ‘m’, Alfred Joseph ‘m’ and Uvwiejibobor Akpevwe ‘m’ all of Udu in Udu Local Government.

The Police Authority reiterates that the responsibility of providing security during the 2019 General Election rests on the Police in collaboration with other Security Agencies; namely: Police, Army, Navy, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety, Immigration, Air Force, and DSS etc.

The Police therefore warn all stakeholders who have or intend to employ the services of private Security Agents, volunteers, guards vigilantes for the purpose of securing/escorting electoral materials etc to desist from doing so. Any such armed private security personnel in whatever form or guise will be appropriately dealt with.

The Delta State Police Command added that, in line with its warning on the need for vigilantes and private security guards volunteer organization to steer clear of the 2019 election security, “The Police authority will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any offender according to the law, while assuring members of the public of its commitment to the security and safety.”