Lalong Pledges Amnesty for Repentant Gun Runners in Plateau

Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, has pledged to grant amnesty to gunrunners and fabricators of light and sophisticated weapons, as part of his efforts to mop up dangerous weapons in circulation in the state. The governor disclosed this after inspecting the cache of light and sophisticated weapons confiscated by men of the Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in the state. He said: “There are youths whose preoccupation is to wait for crisis to take up such opportunities;

let them come out, let them release the ammunitions they have and we will find them something just to do instead of sitting in the bush and waiting for opportunities for crisis to kill people.” Lalong said: “By next week, I will move all my commissioners back to their local governments to try to help the security agents mop up the weapons.

Some of the youths are claiming they are not employed, come out with your ammunition and we will reward you accordingly.” He commended men of the task force for their efforts in ensuring peace in the state, stressing that his administration has almost changed the entire legal system of the state to ensure speedy prosecution of offenders. He also reiterated his administration’s resolve to ensure that lasting peace is restored to the state. Lalong used the occasion of the visit to reiterate the total ban on the activities of Shi’ite procession in Plateau remain banned . Receiving the governor at the STF headquarters, the Commander of the task force, Major General Rogers Nicholas, urged the state government to collaborate with the Ministry of Defence to see how some of the talented weapon fabricators can be put to good use as employees of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). The General said: “Since we are looking inwards, and change begins with us, we can also key into the programme to see how we can change their attitudes to fabricate these weapons officially, legally through DICON. “They can be put into groups where they are being monitored and controlled so that we can put them to good use.”

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