PRESIDENCY REFUTES AUTOMATIC GUN LICENCE FOR STATE SECURITY

The Presidency has debunked claims that some states have been authorised to buy automatic weapons for their security outfits. Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu had alleged that if the Federal Government could allow a security outfit in Katsina State to carry arms, nothing should stop him from doing the same for officers of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun. However, presidential media aide Garba Shehu on Tuesday, in a statement said there is no state, not Katsina, not any other state in the federation, that has been authorized to procure automatic weapons for their security outfits.

He stated that the President under this administration, has repeatedly made it clear that nobody is allowed to illegally carry AK-47 or any other automatic weapons adding that they must surrender them. Shehu reiterated that under the existing regulations, only the Office of the National Security Adviser can issue such authorization, upon proper clearance by the President and Commander-in-Chief and as it is at this moment, no such approvals have been issued to any state government.

He explained that in the specific Katsina State often cited, the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari wrote to explain that the administration invited the Provost of the Civil Defence Training College in Katsina to train their Vigilantes for a five-day period in the handling and operations of Pump Action Rifles, emphasizing that the Vigilantes were not trained to take over the responsibilities of the security agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria but to assist them.