Tunji Disu, inspector-general of police (IGP), says police officers have been given instructed to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms.
Disu spoke in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the government house, where he said the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the persistent insecurity in Benue must be brought to an end.
The police chief said only authorised security personnel are legally allowed to carry firearms, warning that law enforcement officers would no longer adopt a passive approach to armed criminality.
“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.
“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.”
Disu also urged Benue residents to support security agencies with credible intelligence, saying public cooperation remains essential in the fight against armed criminality.
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