Police in Delta have recovered six rifles from an uncompleted building on a church premises in Asaba.
Resident pastor of the church, Fidelix Nwansa, has already been arrested.
Nwansa, who is in charge of the Christ Holy Church, was nabbed for alleged gunrunning on the pretext of providing security for churches and hotels in the area alongside vigilance groups.
State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, who confirmed the incident, said on Thursday that policemen arrested the pastor two days earlier, during a mop-up operation.
He 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 also said the head of a vigilance group, simply identified as Freeman, was arrested.
He said the vigilance group head, who is from Anambra State just like the cleric, was brought to Delta State for a security job.
The police commissioner said investigation led to the arrest of the resident pastor, who confessed that the recovered firearms belonged to the Anambra vigilance group.