By Paul Efiong, Abuja
The Director General National Taskforce for the Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism (NatForce) Chief Osita Okereke(OON) has condemned in strong terms the intimidation of its operatives and warned that Natforce will no longer tolerate continuous arrest and detention of its officers and men who are carrying out their legitimate assignments across the country.
He therefore threatened to institute a N20b naira lawsuit against any person, group or organization, who hinder arrest or prevent staff of Natforce from carrying out their lawful duties.
Chief Okereke made the threat in a press statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja Wednesday.
According to the statement, Okereke was speaking on the heels of alleged arrest and detention of his staff by the Police in some states such as Delta,Kogi,Jigawa and Sokoto state.
‘Let me use this medium to warn the police against continuous arrest and harassment of my men and officers,they must desist from such, including other security agencies like NSCDC etc, we shall not tolerate it anymore’ he said.
In the statement, Okereke had also vowed to resist such unwarranted and illegal arrest of his personnel maintaining that the Federal High court judgment in 2011 as well as that of the Appeal court in 2019 had ruled in his favour given credence to Natforce existence.
He therefore called on his teaming supporters and well-meaning Nigerians not to give up in the fight against illegal arms, ammunition and anti-vandalism adding that such will continue no matter who are involved.
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