Police arrest native doctor, recover arms, ammunition from shrine

The police in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, say they have arrested a native doctor for alleged criminal offences in the state.

Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in the state, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, identified the native doctor as Emmanuel Chinonso.

The spokesperson said Mr Chinonso, 24, was arrested on 15 May by police operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Command.

He said, following the native doctor’s confessional statements, the operatives raided his shrine and recovered some arms and ammunition.

“The exhibits, recovered from his shrine located at Ugwuochie-Iwollo in Ezeagu Local Government Area, include one locally made pistol, one revolver pistol, one expended and one live 38 special calibre ammunition, and one live cartridge,” the police said.

Mr Ndukwe said the suspect also confessed to being a member of the Black Axe, a cult group in Nigeria.

“He will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations,” he said.

The spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, commended the operatives for their efforts and urged them to sustain the momentum.

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Mr Giwa assured that Enugu State would remain “uninhabitable” to unrepentant criminals.

The police chief appealed to the residents to remain supportive of the Command’s efforts to fight crime.

Prohibited in Nigeria

Illegal possession of firearms is outlawed in Nigeria. Firearms Act 1959 and the

Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act (2004) remains the principal legislation against the illegal possession of firearms.

For instance, the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act (2004) prescribes a 10-year jail term for persons convicted of the offence.

However, a legislation proposed by the Nigeria’s National Assembly includes a five-year jail term for firearms possession without a license.

Like the illegal possession of firearms, cultism, also known as secret societies, is outlawed in Nigeria.

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However, the laws vary from state to state. In Enugu State, for instance, cultism is outlawed in the Public Order (Prohibition of Secret Cults and their activities) Law No. 17 of the Enugu State of Nigeria 2009.

It is also outlawed in the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, Vol II Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.

Several persons have been convicted in Nigeria for offences of illegal possession of firearms and cultism across Nigeria.

In July 2021, a Magistrate Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, sentenced a student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Shehu Mohammed, to eight years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm and cultism.

An Ekiti High Court, in 2019, sentenced a Nigerian man to 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.