The Nigeria Police Force has denied claims that Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu ordered officers to shoot anyone found carrying illegal firearms, describing the report as false and a distortion of his actual remarks.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said in a statement that the report, which had gone viral on social media, took the IGP’s comments out of context and misled the public.
The police said Disu gave no such order during a stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi, Benue State.
“The Nigeria Police Force has noticed a misleading report claiming that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, ordered police officers to ‘shoot anyone with illegal firearms.’ This claim is false and does not reflect what the Inspector-General said,” the statement read.
According to the police, Disu used the meeting to remind officers that only legally authorised security personnel may carry firearms. He also addressed the rising threat of illegal weapons, which criminals use for kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, and cult violence.
The IGP further referenced Force Order 237, which governs when officers may lawfully use firearms in the course of duty, and stressed that officers must operate strictly within the law.
“At no time did he instruct officers to shoot anyone simply because they were found with an illegal firearm,” the statement said.
The police reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the lives and rights of Nigerians, and urged the public and media organisations to verify information before publishing or sharing it, warning that misleading security reports can breed fear and erode public trust.
The force also referred Nigerians to a video of the IGP’s full remarks for context.
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