Nigeria Police Force has said it is not aware of Executive Order reportedly issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to revoke licences for firearms or short guns nationwide.
The Executive Order, according to reports, is to take effect from June 1 (today).
The President was said to have signed the order on May 22, 2019, in response to threats by some Niger Delta militants to declare a Niger Delta Republic and secede from Nigeria.
But police denied knowledge of the order barely 24 hours after National Assembly, through Federal House of Representatives, passed a resolution asking Buhari to reverse it in the interest of Nigerians.
The resolution followed consideration and adoption of a motion, which came under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, titled, ‘Motion on the Need for Mr President to Rescind Executive Order to Remove, Revoke and Banish all Firearms Certificates and Licences Throughout the Country,” at the plenary.
Lawmakers contended that the Executive Order cannot override an Act of Parliament, just as they urged the President to sign into law the bill on Establishment of (National) Commission against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
The green chamber said many citizens would be left vulnerable and would be at the mercy of mindless criminals, terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, if the order was not rescinded.
The lawmakers argued that licensed guns were not the ones used to perpetrate crimes, noting that withdrawing the guns would further expose law-abiding Nigerians to danger as they would become target of “mindless criminals and bandits.”
They called on security agencies to rather go after the criminals carrying out their nefarious acts with unlicensed guns.
According to reports, the Executive Order mandates the police and other security agencies to confiscate all firearms in the possession of Nigerians.
If implemented, thousands of Nigerians would lose their licensed arms which may increase their vulnerabilities.
But Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba, said he was “not aware” of the order.
Responding to enquiries on Friday about the implementation of the order for revocation of firearms licences, the police spokesman simply said, “I am not aware of the order and we cannot confirm the order.”
Mba declined further comments, saying that was all he could say on the matter.
Findings by our correspondents indicated that the Presidency had neither commented nor denied reports on the purported order since it came to the public domain contrary to the practice by Presidential spokespersons who usually announce government policies or deny any form of false reports.
Buhari’s aide declines comment on executive order
President Buhari’s National Assembly Liaison Officer, Mr Ita Enang, on Friday declined to speak on the issue.
He said, “It is not appropriate for me to speak on it. That is my response.”
Also, none of the President’s spokespersons responded to enquiries by our correspondent.
Neither his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, nor his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, responded to enquiries.
All attempts on Friday to reach Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr Dayo Apata, who heads Federal Ministry of Justice pending the appointment of a new AGF were not successful.
His telephone line was unreachable and a text message sent to him had not been delivered as of the time of filing this report.
Punch
