Drama As US Returnee Says He Bought His Three Pump Action Guns From Lagos Police Command

A middle-aged man, Ailabogie Aikpaojie, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for unlawful possession of firearms has said that he bought the arms and ammunition from the state police command.

He was arrested for being in possession of 3 pump-action single barrelled shotguns and 250 live cartridges.

Speaking to journalists after he and several others were paraded for different offences by the Acting Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dasuki Galadanchi, on Friday, Aikpaojie, said he had done nothing wrong, The PUNCH reports.

“I’m not a criminal, I wonder why I was being paraded,” he exclaimed.

In a chilling revelation that turned out to be an interesting one, the suspect said he bought the firearms from the Lagos State Police Command sometime in 2002 when he needed protection.

He said when he arrived the country then from the United States, where he has residency permit, he had security challenges prompting him to approach the then Police Commissioner, who helped him to arrange for the guns.

“I had security challenge then, so I approached the police commissioner at that time. I told him I had a function in my village and I needed to be protected. I purchased the guns here in this Lagos State Police Command (Ikeja). I purchased the three pump action guns here.

“That place (pointing at the armoury) was where they sold the guns to me and this (pointing) box of cartridges. That other building (pointing) was where I did the licences for the three guns and I was given. But the licences are now with the Area Commander; they have seized them.

“Each of these (pump action) guns cost me N150,000, but I can’t remember how much I paid for the cartridges. Can anyone prove that I used it to commit crime? I need the guns for security.” He queried why he should be arrested by the police that sold the guns to him.

He added, “If the police know I’m not supposed to have these pump action guns, why sell them to me? They brought someone who sold them to me right here on this police ground. In fact, I couldn’t take them out after they sold them to me until the licences were ready.”

As if that was not enough, Aikpaojie explained that as a businessman who has trucks that lift petroleum products, there were times his trucks would break down and he would need to send someone to the spot, saying he needed protection given his kind of business.

He further added, “At times, the police provided me with policemen that travel with me, but sometimes when I come here (Command) to get approval for policemen, they hand the policemen to me without rifles, so I tell the policemen to use mine; the ones I bought here.

I tell them that although it might not be as good as the ones they use, but they can manage them.”

He maintained that he was licenced to carry the guns, thus he had committed no crime.

Explaining how he was arrested, he said that the gun had been in the country since 2002 but that it was when his family members saw the pistol somewhere in his house and showed him that he decided to take the gun to the Police Command to get a licence for it,  he was arrested on the way.