The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has directed police officers nationwide to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms, as part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
Disu issued the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, stating that the decision followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the persistent security challenges in the state must be brought to an end.
The police chief stressed that only duly authorised security personnel are legally permitted to bear firearms, warning that law enforcement agencies would no longer tolerate the unlawful possession of weapons.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
Disu explained that the directive is backed by Force Order 237, which he said empowers police officers to respond immediately to armed threats without waiting for instructions from superior officers.
“We have given them instructions. We have a Force Order 237. Police officers have been instructed that they don’t need to wait for any superior order. They know where to deploy their firearms,” he said.
According to the Inspector-General, the directive became necessary in response to the growing number of security personnel being killed while carrying out their duties.
“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow,” he said.
Reiterating the order, Disu added that officers had been trained to act decisively when confronted with armed threats.
“They have been instructed to shoot at sight. They have been trained to do what is necessary. But we will not succeed without the cooperation of all of you,” he stated.
The IGP also appealed to residents of Benue State and Nigerians generally to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence, stressing that community cooperation remains essential in the fight against armed criminality.
Benue State has experienced repeated attacks by armed groups in recent months, resulting in the deaths of many residents, the displacement of thousands of people and widespread destruction of property.
In response to the worsening security situation, the Federal Government has continued to reinforce security operations in the state by deploying additional personnel and adopting stricter measures aimed at restoring peace and preventing further attacks.
