Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has directed police officers nationwide to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms as part of efforts to curb rising insecurity across the country.
Disu issued the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, Benue State. He said the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s instruction that the security situation in the state must be brought under control.
The police chief stated that only authorised security personnel are permitted by law to carry firearms, stressing that security agencies would no longer tolerate the unlawful possession of weapons.
He said officers had been empowered under Force Order 237 to respond immediately to armed threats without waiting for approval from superior officers, adding that the measure was necessary to protect security personnel from attacks.
Disu appealed to the public to support security agencies with credible information, noting that community cooperation remained vital in tackling armed criminality, especially in Benue, where recurring attacks have led to deaths, displacement and destruction of property.
