Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, has placed with immediate effect, embargo on issuance of new licences for designated arms throughout the country.

Mr Frank Mba, spokesman of the force, disclosed this in statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mba, who did not list categories of the arms, called on Nigerians in unlawful possession of such weapons to return them to police stations or public armoury nearest to them.

Mba said the decision followed proliferation of illicit weapons and the desire by some citizens to acquire more arms.

He said Adamu advised Nigerians to take advantage of the “voluntary arms return window” and do the right thing as there will be dire consequences for defaulters.

The spokesman said that the force had perfected plans to embark on a massive, nationwide Joint Arms Mopping up Operations.

He said the operation which would be intelligence driven and target oriented, was designed to retrieve all illicit weapons in circulation.

Mba said that the excuse would halt the on-going proliferation of weapons, restore law and order and bring perpetrators to justice.

NAN