Shoot anyone carrying illegal firearms, IGP orders Police

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu has directed police officers nationwide to take decisive action against anyone found unlawfully carrying firearms, declaring that armed criminals will no longer be allowed to operate with impunity.

The directive, issued on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, Benue State, forms part of intensified efforts to curb rising insecurity, particularly in states affected by recurring violent attacks.

Disu said the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to end the persistent violence in Benue State, where attacks by armed groups have claimed lives, displaced communities and destroyed property.

The police chief stressed that only authorised security personnel are legally permitted to possess firearms, warning that anyone found carrying weapons illegally would be treated as an armed threat.

“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” the IGP said.

He explained that under Force Order 237, police officers are empowered to respond immediately to armed threats without first seeking approval from superior officers.

According to Disu, the directive is intended to protect security personnel, many of whom have lost their lives in confrontations with heavily armed criminals.

“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.

“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.

“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 said.

The IGP appealed to residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence, saying community cooperation remains essential to tackling armed criminality and restoring peace.

Benue has remained one of Nigeria’s most troubled states in recent months, with repeated attacks by armed groups prompting increased deployment of security personnel and tougher measures by the Federal Government to stem the violence.