Posted by On Friday, the federal government reacted to state governments’ rising demand for the authorization to purchase automatic weapons for use by their numerous state security and vigilante formations.
Remember that as the country’s insecurity has worsened, several nations have developed internal security networks, either independently or through regional agreements, to combat emerging forms of security threats within their domains.
With the development of such security/vigilante outfits, concerns have been raised about how successful and functional they would be if they were not armed with high-calibre weapons, especially given the character and level of armament of the elements posing the threats.
Recently, the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, sued the federal government for allegedly refusing to grant the Western Security Network, known as Amotekun, the authority to use automatic weapons such as AK47s in the course of their duties, claiming double standards because the same authority was granted to a northern state.
In addition, during a ceremony marking the Passing-Out Parade of the state’s security outfit, known as the Community Volunteer Guard, on Thursday, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom issued a month ultimatum to the federal government to grant his state’s request for the permit to arm the new outfit with automatic weapons.
The governor said that he had applied to the federal government for authorization to be granted to the state security outfit to carry advanced weapons to face the heavily armed terrorists operating in the state, but to no effect.
Responding to a question about the growing demand by states for automatic weapons for their various internal security outfits, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, warned that no state or state governor in Nigeria has the authority to acquire weapons of the caliber they are requesting while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the National Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Gen. Irabor, who was joined by the Ministers of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, stated that the deployment of high calibre weaponry, such as AK-47 rifles, falls solely within the domain of federal government security services.
Irabor, on the other hand, cautioned citizens to be wary and to constantly read between the lines when state governors seek specific requests.
He stated that Nigerians (journalists) must be able to read between the lines when certain comments are made in order to evoke particular reactions, as opposed to the reality of the security situation.
He explained that the AK-47 and, indeed, “firearms fall into two basic types.” You have automatic weapons and what we may call non-automatic weapons, which some of you may have provided you have the necessary licenses. Talking about the Pump Action, which is the most frequent, and sometimes the Danish guns that certain hunters use.
“The class that was discussed had to do with automatic firearms.” There is no state that has been granted a license for it,” he asserted, adding that the entire obligation for licensing rests with federal government agencies, and that the weapons must be deployed by government security agencies rather than quasi-security forces.
“So you don’t ask for what you don’t have the power to obtain,” General Irabor explained.
Aregbesola backed up the governors’ claim that state executives have the authority to buy firearms for local security forces.
“No state government has been given the authority to arm any of its security operatives or agencies.” Non. As a result, the erroneous allegation that the federal government empowers the state government to establish its own vigilante or subnational security organization is incorrect, absolutely false!
Continuing, the Minister of Interior highlighted the prerequisites for obtaining a license to possess arms for local usage, which he claimed the governors had failed to meet.
“There is a protocol that everyone who want to legally bring in any weapon must follow.” And everyone authorized by law to bring in lawful munitions, including the army, must go through that process.
“As a result, anyone wishing to import ammo, armor, or weapons should do so through the legal channels.”
On the application for the acquisition of firearms, the Minister of Police Affairs stated, “the government has made it clearly clear that it has not provided licence to any state government or organization to purchase firearms for subnational security outfit is false, utter false!”
Vanguard