The Buhari-led administration has rarely disguised its dislike for state policing which is the norm in true federal systems globally. He was reacting to requests for permission to use AK-47 by both Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State. Lucky Irabor pointedly declared about four days back that no state governor in the country has the authority to acquire high-caliber weapons for use by quasi-security outfits in their jurisdiction.įielding question on firearms, Irabor declared that the deployment of high calibre weapons such as the AK-47 rifles among others lies strictly within the purview of the Federal Government security agencies alone. Pandering to the earlier whim of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Under no circumstance should state security operators with lesser-grade arms be asked to confront bandits and terrorists with more sophisticated weapons.
The dispute that has arisen over the Federal Government’s refusal to allow the states’ security outfits to bear sophisticated arms, particularly AK-47 and AK-49 rifles, to match those of the enemies of their people tells of the unhealthy shenanigans that have clouded the most sensitive matter of keeping Nigerians secured.Īmid the routine loss of lives and livelihood nationwide, this is most regrettable and a failure of leadership by the Federal Government to accord rights of self-defence to sub-nationals.Ī sincere leadership would rather push for concerted efforts at policing and work out a uniform guideline for all, against the common enemy. It is worth emphasising that it was this failure that prompted governors in the South West, South East, Benue and some others in the North to set up their own security network to protect their people and, having done that out of undeniable necessity, it simply makes sense that they arm and equip the outfits appropriately to meet their security challenges, particularly to confront bandits, terrorists and kidnappers who are armed with sophisticated weapons. That duty is essentially that of the Nigeria Police Force that, unfortunately, has failed to deliver over the years, not because of lack of will, but more because they have simply been overwhelmed by the increasing enormity and complexity of safeguarding life and property in the country.
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