President Muhammadu Buhari says security chiefs have received marching orders to go harder on criminals, including shooting anyone found to be in illegal possession of AK-47.
Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said the president stated this during a meeting with the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.
The Council is co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
The president, who briefed the traditional rulers on efforts by the government to improve the security situation in the country, said his administration had recorded appreciable successes in the North-East and South-South parts of the country.
•Buhari reaffirms shoot-on-sight order at AK-47-wielding criminals
•2,403 insurgents killed since 2015
•Armed Forces working in Synergy, says Irabor
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The federal government yesterday ruled out hiring mercenaries to fight the insurgency war, saying the country has enough personnel and resources to fight insecurity, especially with the reform of the armed forces by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It also foreclosed negotiations with bandits and terrorists, 2,403 of who have been killed by security forces since 2015, contending that doing so could suggest weakness and incapacity on the part of the government.
Buhari, who met behind closed doors with some traditional rulers, said he had given security chiefs marching orders to hunt down criminals, including shooting anyone found illegally bearing AK-47.
Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar (left); Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero; Emir of Kazaure, Dr Najib Hussaini-Adamu; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe during their meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
• Restates order to shoot at sight anyone found with AK-47
• Banditry becoming too much, traditional rulers tell Buhari
• We’ll not negotiate with insurgents, NSA says, rules out engagement of mercenaries
Despite reassurances by government, the deteriorating state of security in the country, particularly in the northeast, is daily testing the might of security agencies.
Buhari justifies shoot-on-sight directive on AK-47 bearers
Leke Baiyewu, Abuja
Leke Baiyewu, Abuja
Published 12 March 2021
The Presidency said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, emphasised his marching order to security chiefs to go harder on criminals, including shooting anyone found illegally with AK-47.
Buhari was quoted to have made the emphasis at a meeting with the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria at the State House, co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled, ‘We Are Going to Be Harder on Criminals, President Buhari Tells Traditional Rulers…Restates Order that Anyone Found with AK-47 Illegally Be Shot.’
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday emphasised that security chiefs had received marching orders to go harder on criminals, including shooting on sight of anyone found illegally with AK-47s.