Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has directed police officers across Nigeria to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms, saying the order is aimed at tackling rising insecurity and protecting security personnel from armed attacks.
Disu gave the directive during a security stakeholders' meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, where concerns were raised over persistent killings and the proliferation of illegal weapons.
He said the order is backed by Force Order 237, which outlines the circumstances under which police officers may use firearms in the line of duty.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country.
"It will not be tolerated,” the police chief said.
He added, “We have given them instructions.
"We have a Force Order 237.
"Police officers have been instructed that they do not need to wait for any superior order.
"They know where to deploy their firearms.”
Disu said the decision followed the increasing number of security personnel killed while confronting armed criminals.
“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.
The directive comes as security agencies intensify operations against armed groups in parts of Benue and other states affected by banditry, kidnapping and communal violence.
At the Makurdi meeting, the IGP also warned that only law enforcement officers are legally permitted to bear arms in public and vowed a sustained crackdown on illegal firearms.
Force Order 237 provides operational guidelines on the use of firearms by police officers, including the use of lethal force where there is an imminent threat to life.
However, the policy has attracted scrutiny in the past from human rights groups, which have urged officers to comply strictly with the law and rules of engagement to avoid unlawful or excessive use of force.
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