Buhari orders security officials to shoot on sight anyone with AK-47

President Muhammadu Buhari has purportedly requested the military to shoot without hesitation anybody seen with AK-47 rifle in the bush.

Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, on Wednesday, disclosed this in an interview.

Bandits and a few Fulani herdsmen work with AK-47 and have been slaughtering and mutilating people across Nigeria.

Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed had defended herdsmen conveying AK-47, saying they were using it to defend themselves from cattle rustlers and others.

According to the Nigerian law, no individual is expected to be seen with AK-47 apart from the military officers, yet it is very common in Nigeria to see people with AK-47.

Shehu stated that the president had commanded military leaders to shoot anyone with AK-47.

As indicated by him, President Buhari was resolute to end malicious killings of people by bandits in Zamfara and other parts of the nation.

Shehu further stated that the “no-fly zone” order on the Zamfara airspace was learnt by reports that helicopters were flown in by gangs involved in unlawful mining of gold deposits in the state, also the criminal gangs supposedly supply arms to bandits in return.

He said, “The president has ordered security forces to go into the bushes and shoot whoever they see with sophisticated weapons like AK-47.”

However, Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle has discredited insinuation that helicopters flew into the state with arms for bandits.

He said, “It was just misinformation, nobody has proven that and if they have, they should prove it beyond any reasonable doubt and as the Chief Security Officer of my state, security of lives and properties of my people is my primary responsibility.

“Therefore, I support any decision that will help eliminate banditry in my state. As for the ban on mining, I have no problem with that because already, there is ban on it, that is my knowledge.”