Calls for Ibikunle Amosun's arrest grow after details of his huge arms cache become public

CALLS have intensified for the arrest and prosecution of the former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun after it emerged that he had amassed a stockpile of weapons and ammunition ahead of this 2019 general elections.

Governor Amosun, a key ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and a stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), recently handed over a cache of weapons he had stockpiled in the run-up to the elections. Among the weapons he handed in include 4m bullets, 1,000 AK47 rifles, 1,000 bulletproof vests and one armoured personnel carrier.

Illegal arms possession has long been identified as one of the immediate causes of the country’s acute insecurity. However, Governor Amosun, who has just been elected as an APC senator, held on to these weapons, which were stored at Government House in Abeokuta while he was governor.

On May 28, a day before he was due to complete his eight year tenure as governor, Senator Amosun suddenly called the state police commissioner Bashir Makama, to confess that he had a cache of arms. He subsequently handed over the huge arms vault as part of a desperate move to clear the Government House of any incriminating items before his successor took charge.

Although he remains a member of the ruling APC, Senator Amosun favoured Adekunle Akinlade of a rival political party in the state’s governorship election on March 9. However, Dapo Abiodun, the APC candidate, won the elections and Senator Amosun knew his successor would be unwilling to protect him due to their political enmity.

Police commissioner Makama received the weapons from Senator Amosun but failed to notify the force headquarters about the development. Nigerians of all political affiliations are now calling for Senator Amosun’s urgent arrest in a rare show of unity over a national security matter.