DELTA: Police arrests pastor after discovering six rifles hidden inside church building

A pastor in Asaba, the Delta State capital, Fidelix Nwansa has been arrested by operatives of the state police command after six rifles were recovered form an uncompleted building in his church premises.

Nwansa, who pastors the Christ Holy Church, was arrested for alleged gunrunning on the pretext of providing security for churches and hotels in the area alongside vigilante groups.

While confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, told journalists on Thursday that the pastor’s arrest was made by his men two days earlier during a mop-up operation.

The CP said: “Some people from across the Niger have started or are bringing in vigilantes and criminals to Delta State in the name of providing security for churches and hotels, forgetting the fact that it is illegal to do that, because a vigilante from another state cannot come and operate in this state.

“Secondly, they are carrying sophisticated firearms. There is every indication that once they bring these people, they are also engaged in criminality. So, we have recovered six pump action rifles.”

Inuwa further stated that his operatives also arrested the head of a vigilante group, simply identified as Freeman, adding that the vigilante head, who is from Anambra State, the same as the cleric, was brought to Delta State for a security job.

According to the CP, investigation led to the arrest of the resident pastor, who told investigators that the recovered firearms belonged to the Anambra vigilante group.