Buhari Orders Soldiers, Police To Shoot Anyone Seen With AK-47

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday directed the Nigerian Army, Police and other security agencies to shoot anyone seen with AK-47.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the President’s media assistant, Garba Shehu, during an interview with the BBC.

Asked what efforts are being made to rid Zamfara and other northern states of bandits, Shehu said Buhari directed a clampdown on bandits who have refused to surrender.

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

“He ordered that whoever is seen with terrible weapons at all should be shot immediately.”

He said the federal government declared Zamfara a no-fly zone following intelligence that arms were being transported to the bandits with private jets.

“These jets are being used to pick up gold that is being mined in some parts of Zamfara and exported. This is strong because at the moment, there is a Nigerian gold market in Dubai. The government is losing, the people of this country are losing, that’s why it is said that gold mining is banned for those who are not made by the government,” he said.

Recall that President Buhari, on Tuesday, declared Zamfara a ‘no-fly zone’ and banned all mining activities in the state.

The National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen Babagaba Monguno, while announcing the development in Abuja noted that it is part of the measures to tackle the security challenges in the north-western state.

Monguno disclosed this after a five-hour National Security Council meeting presided over by Buhari at the Presidential Villa in the nation’s capital.

A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone, or air exclusion zone, is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly.

He further stated that all non-state actors have been placed under surveillance as the Federal Government will not hesitate to use kinetic means to restore normalcy in the country.