Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have recovered an Italian-made pistol with its breech number filed off after two motorcycle-riding suspects allegedly attempted to evade a stop-and-search operation along the Auchi-Okene Expressway.
The incident occurred in Okpella, Edo North, during a routine stop-and-search operation conducted by personnel of the Safer Highway Unit.
The Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the suspects fled after police officers rejected an alleged attempt to bribe them.
According to Ikoedem, the operatives stopped the motorcycle carrying two unidentified young men and requested that they submit to a search.
She said the passenger initially offered money to the officers, but the policemen refused the bribe and insisted on searching the suspects based on reasonable suspicion.
The passenger subsequently alighted from the motorcycle, threw away the bag he was carrying and fled into a nearby bush, while the motorcycle rider reportedly sped away from the scene.
A search of the abandoned bag led to the discovery of the pistol, which the police described as an Italian-made, serviceable firearm.
The Command said the weapon’s breech number had been filed off, a development that could make tracing its origin and ownership more difficult.
The police said efforts were ongoing to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Command further assured residents that it would sustain operations aimed at recovering illegal firearms, disrupting criminal activities and improving public safety across the state.
The latest recovery comes amid heightened security operations across Edo, where police and other security agencies have continued to intensify efforts to intercept weapons and prevent their use in criminal activities.
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