IG orders police to shoot anyone carrying illegal firearms
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has ordered officers to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms in Nigeria. This directive aims to curb rising insecurity and protect security personnel in Benue State.
Why it matters
The 'shoot on sight' order represents a significant escalation in law enforcement tactics, raising concerns about human rights and the potential for extrajudicial violence.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has directed police officers across the country to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms, as part of intensified efforts to curb insecurity.
Disu issued the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, saying the move followed President Bola Tinubu’s instruction that the lingering security crisis in the state must be brought to an end.
The police chief maintained that only authorised security personnel are legally permitted to carry 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.
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