Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, have shot two suspected gunrunners and arrested two others during an operation along the Bekwarra-Ogoja axis of Cross River State’s Northern Senatorial District.
The four suspects were reportedly tracked from northern Nigeria through Benue State into Cross River State while allegedly transporting illegal firearms.
Two of the suspects were shot while attempting to evade arrest, while the other two were apprehended.
The operation was aimed at intercepting the alleged illegal movement of arms into the state.
Reacting to the development, Governor Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Dr Peter Odey, vowed that his administration would deal decisively with anyone involved in the illegal movement of arms into the state.
Odey, who spoke during the parade of the suspects and the display of the recovered weapons, warned against attempts to turn Cross River into a theatre of violence, insisting that his administration would not compromise the state’s peace and security.
“The peace of Cross River State is non-negotiable. No political ambition, personal interest or desperation for power is worth the life of any citizen.
“We will not allow anyone, regardless of status, political affiliation or connections, to import violence into our state or turn our communities into killing fields,” he said.
The deputy governor disclosed that preliminary investigations suggested that the movement of the weapons might be linked to political activities.
He warned that the firearms could be used to intimidate political opponents, threaten communities, disrupt lawful political activities and endanger innocent citizens if they fell into the wrong hands.
“Arms of this nature, if placed in the wrong hands, could be used to intimidate political opponents, terrorise communities, disrupt lawful political activities and inflict irreversible harm on innocent citizens,” Odey said.
He added that the arrested suspects would be charged to court as investigations continued to establish the source of the weapons, identify their alleged sponsors and determine their intended recipients.
Otu reiterated that nobody was above the law, warning that anyone found culpable would face the full consequences of the law.
DSS shoots two suspected gunrunners, arrests suspects in Cross River