To contain escalating violence in heavily impacted states, Police Inspector-General Olatunji Disu has authorized force against unauthorized individuals bearing arms, issuing a nationwide “shoot on sight” directive.
The announcement was made Friday during a high-level stakeholders’ gathering at the Benue State Government House.
According to Disu, the measure aligns with a mandate from President Bola Tinubu to definitively resolve the region’s security challenges.
Reaffirming that firearm ownership is strictly reserved for designated security agencies, the police chief cautioned that illegal arms possession will now face zero tolerance.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he declared.
Disu explained that the directive was backed by Force Order 237, which empowers police officers to respond immediately to armed threats without waiting for approval from superior officers.
“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,” he said.
He said the decision was informed by the increasing number of casualties among security personnel in the line of duty.
“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.”
Reaffirming the directive, Disu added: “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.”
The Inspector-General urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence, noting that community cooperation remains vital to efforts to combat armed criminality.
Persecondnews recalls that recent months have seen Benue State battered by relentless armed attacks, resulting in dozens of deaths, massive displacement, and widespread destruction.
In response, the Federal Government is ramping up its security footprint in the state, deploying extra troops and rolling out harsher measures to curb the violence and restore stability.