IG Orders Police to Shoot Anyone with Illegal Firearms

On Friday, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, Benue State, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, issued a directive to police officers nationwide to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms. This directive is part of renewed efforts to address the persistent insecurity in Benue State, which has seen repeated attacks by armed groups, leading to loss of lives and displacement of residents.

The order follows President Bola Tinubu’s instruction to end the ongoing insecurity in the region. Disu emphasized that only authorized security personnel are permitted to bear firearms and declared that the era of passive policing is over.

He stated that police officers have been empowered under Force Order 237 to respond decisively to armed threats without waiting for superior orders. Disu called for public cooperation in providing credible information to aid security agencies in their fight against armed criminality.