NIGERIA-CRIME: STAND AND DELIVER

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

REMI OYO

LAGOS, Nov 18 1994 (IPS) - ORDINARILY, JEREMIAH ISAH IS A NEIGBOURHOOD MOTOR MECHANIC WHO ALSO HAD A JOB IN A LOCAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.

BUT THE POLICE IN JOS, THE HILLY AND SERENE CAPITAL OF THE MIDDLE-BELT STATE OF PLATEAU, CLAIM THE 39-YEAR-OLD ISAH IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER AMEN OYAKHIRE SAYS THAT ISAH IS ACTUALLY AN ARMS MANUFACTURER.

AND ISAH DOES NOT DENY THE CHARGE. INFACT, HE TOLD JOURNALISTS THIS WEEK THAT HE ACQUIRED THE SKILLS IN BRITAIN AND TUNISIA BETWEEN 1982 AND 1989.

HE EVEN CLAIMS “EXPERTISE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AT LEAST 66 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WEAPONS”.

AFTER A RAID ON HIS ARMS FACTORY, 13 LOCALLY-MADE REVOLVERS, TWO FOREIGN MANUFACTURED PISTOLS, FOUR MILITARY RIFLES AND 236 ASSORTED ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION WERE RECOVERED.

ISAH’S BUSINESS, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, STRETCHED TO A DISTRIBUTION NETWORK IN AT LEAST SEVEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY’S 30 STATES.

WELL-PLACED CITIZENS HAVE BEEN BAGGED, THE COMMISSIONER SAID, NAMING AT LEAST ONE TOP OFFICIAL OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND TWO FORMER LEGISLATORS, ALL CLIENTS OF THE PART-TIME MOTOR MECHANIC.

THROUGH ISAH’S OPERATION, WEAPONS WERE SOLD FOR BETWEEN 600 NAIRA (30 DOLLARS) AND 10,000 NAIRA (LESS THAN 500 DOLLARS).

THE CONDUIT, SAID A MIFFED OYAKHIRE, WAS “A MISERABLE POLICE SERGEANT IN THE ARMOURY SECTION OF THE STATE COMMAND”.

THE SERGEANT HAS BEEN DISMISSED AND IS AWAITING TRIAL AS ARE ISAH AND SIX OTHER ACCOMPLICES. THE NUMBERS MAY WELL SWELL AS THE INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE.

ARMED ROBBERY IS RIFE IN NIGERIA, AN OIL-RICH COUNTRY CRIPPLED BY MISMANAGEMENT AND PRO-DEMOCRACY UPHEAVAL.

ACCORDING TO A POLICE SOURCE, BETWEEN 50 AND 80 CARS ARE SNATCHED WEEKLY BY ARMED ROBBERS IN THIS SPRAWLING CITY OF SIX MILLION PEOPLE.