Police deny IGP issued shoot-on-sight order, say remarks were taken out of context

The Nigeria Police Force has denied that Inspector-General Olatunji Disu issued a shoot-on-sight order during a stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi, saying his remarks on Force Order 237 and illegal firearms were taken out of context and misrepresented by media reports.

Less than 24 hours after headlines blared a shoot-on-sight directive, the Nigeria Police Force is walking it back.

In a statement issued Saturday by Force Public Relations Officer Aniete Iniedu, the police denied that IGP Olatunji Disu gave any instruction for officers to shoot individuals simply because they were found carrying illegal firearms. The force said the IGP’s comments during Friday’s stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, were taken out of context and wrongly presented to the public.

As reported by Daily Post, the police clarified that what the IGP actually said was that only legally authorised security personnel are permitted to carry firearms, and that the growing menace of illegal weapons — used to facilitate kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and cult violence — must be confronted.

The statement said the IGP reminded officers that the use of firearms is governed by Force Order 237, which permits an officer to lawfully deploy a firearm while carrying out official duties — but strictly within the law and approved rules of engagement. “At no time did the IGP instruct officers to shoot anyone simply because they were found with an illegal firearm,” the statement read.

The police force used the clarification to also caution media organisations against publishing unverified information on security matters. “Misleading reports on security matters can create unnecessary fear, confuse the public, and damage trust in security institutions,” the statement warned, urging the public to watch an attached video of the IGP’s full remarks for proper context.

The force reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, human rights and constitutional policing. “Officers are expected to perform their duties responsibly and in line with the Constitution and other relevant laws,” the statement added.

The clarification comes after widespread national and international coverage of the IGP’s remarks in Makurdi, which were broadly reported as an unambiguous shoot-on-sight directive against illegal arms carriers.