General Lucky Irabor, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), has cautioned Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom against purchasing AK47 rifles for quasi-security units.
According to Akahi News, Ortom had given the administration led by Muhammadu Buhari a month to approve his request for an AK-47 license or he would seek advice from his people on the best course of action.
Additionally, Akeredolu had criticized the federal government for allegedly allowing the Katsina security group to carry sophisticated rifles while denying other state security groups the right to carry weapons.
After the National Security Council meeting that was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Irabor spoke to newsmen along with the Ministers of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi. He advised the public to be wary and to always read between the lines when governors made certain requests.
The Army General asserts that the Federal government’s security agencies alone are responsible for the deployment of high-caliber weapons like AK-47 rifles and others.
The AK-47 and “firearms fall into two major categories,” the CDS stated.You possess the automatic weapons as well as those that we may classify as non-automatic weapons, which some of you may even possess if you hold the necessary licenses.Specifically, we’ll be talking about the pump action guns, which are very common, and sometimes even the dane guns that some hunters use.
“Automatic weapons are involved in the class that was mentioned.No state has been granted permission to do that.
Irabor stated that the grant of licenses is solely the responsibility of the federal government and that it should be utilized by government security agencies rather than quasi-security forces.
He stated, “So, you do not ask for what you do not have the power to acquire.”
Aregbesola, on the other hand, stated that governors do not have the authority to acquire firearms for their respective local security agencies.
“No state government has been authorized to arm any of his security operatives or agency,” he stated.None.Therefore, the erroneous assertion that the federal government grants authority to the state government to establish its own vigilante or subnational security organization is completely false!
He described the pre-existing conditions that, according to him, the governors had failed to meet before a license to carry arms could be obtained for local use.
Aregbesola stated, “So, whoever wants to import weapons, ammunition, or armor is advised to go through the legitimate process of such activity or act.”
In addition, the Minister of Police Affairs stated, “government had made it categorically clear that it has not issued license to any state government or to the organization to purchase firearms for subnational security measures,” when he spoke.
“So, I think he should know that there are due processes that one should follow to secure such licenses.” “So, for anyone to say he has given timeline for the federal government to issue you license, I think he should know that.”