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Coast Police in arms plea
2006-09-10 09:14:29
By Amri Lugungulo, PST, Kibaha
The police force in Coast Region has called on the members of the public possessing firearms illegally to utilize the ongoing exercise of firearms re-registration in the region to submit their firearms to the police or any safe place. Those heeding the call would not be arrested.
The Regional Police Commander (RPC), Shaibu Ibrahim, told PST yesterday that his office had allowed those possessing firearms illegally including local guns commonly known as gobore to submit them to any police station, leaders of villages, wards and divisions and the district commissioners in the region before the end of the exercise slated for the end of this month.
The RPC requested all the leaders in the region to mobilize the public to be aware of the exercise and help those in possession of any kind of firearm, legally and illegally to re-register them or submit them to the responsible authorities.
The exercise which started on August 1st , this year, was to end after one month ending August 31st this year but the government extended the period for another month from September 1st to the end of the month in order to allow more people to turn up for the exercise.
The RPC urged the public to value the rare opportunity which has been given and planned for by the government in order to avoid problems.
Ibrahim said the region had so far re-registered 1001 firearms of various calibres. including 641 shotguns, 254 rifles, 92 pistols and 14 revolver pistols.
The firearms were re-registered between August 1st and 31st this year during the exercise adding that there were many more firearms expected to be re-registered during the extended period.
The exercise which started on August 1st this year, is also being undertaken in other regions in the country to legalize about 87,000 firearms in private hands, including individuals and companies.
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