I am not a gunrunner – Minister

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Ministries Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, has denied reports linking him to gunrunning and arms smuggling.

Moro also urged security operatives to investigate the allegation of gunrunning against him and also those behind it.

He said only such a move would serve as a deterrent to those whose motive was to pull down those holding political offices.

The minister said this in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. George Udoh.

Moro said those who made the allegation contradicted themselves in the report published by an online portal.

According to him, his accusers said the arms involved were imported by the Federal Government for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, insisting that he (the minister) did the importation of the said arms.

He also denied the report that he was arrested and prosecuted for being in possession of a pistol in Abuja, adding that the same court found him innocent and the allegation and acquitted him.

He explained that it was his driver, who doubles as his security aide, that was found with a pistol and not himself.

The minister argued that if arms and ammunition procured for the NSCDC were missing, the para- military organisation would have publicised it.

The statement added, “On the grave allegation of illegal arms importation and gunrunning, the minister said this is pure fiction. One, the political hacks behind this campaign have exposed their ignorance to the public.

“One day, they said that the arms were imported by the Federal government for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, then, in the same statement they said the minister illegally imported the arms. So which one should we believe?

“Furthermore, the NSCDC is a public office in a public domain whose comment could be sought to find out if there are missing arms rather than crying wolves when none exists.”

-Punchwp_posts