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No state has approval for weapons, says Presidency

The Presidency says none of Nigeria’s 36 states has its authorisation to procure weapons for their security outfits.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, it stated that, “Only the Office of the National Security Adviser can issue such authorisation, 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.”

The statement read, “wishes to strongly assert that there is no state, not Katsina, not any other state in the federation that has been authorised to procure automatic weapons for their security outfits.

“Under this administration, the President has repeatedly made it clear that nobody is allowed to illegally carry AK-47 or any other automatic weapons and that they must surrender them. Where they fail to do so, the law enforcement agencies have been given clear directives to deal with any such outlaws.

“Under the existing regulations, only the Office of the National Security Adviser can issue such authorisation, 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.

“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 five days ‘in the handling and operations of Pump Action Rifles,’ emphasising 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.”

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had earlier faulted the Presidency for allegedly approving weapons for the Katsina State Security Outfit while the Amotekun Corps in his state was denied such opportunity.

Source:Rootstv
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