Armed Forces Ready to Enforce NSA Directive Banning Paramilitary Agencies from use of Camouflage - Matawalle

The Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police are ready to enforce the directive given by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, regarding the ban on use of camouflage uniforms by para-military agencies. 

Only the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force while on Joint Operation with the Military are allowed by law to use the Military camouflage. 

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle made the call while reaffirming the ban on unauthorized use of Military camouflage, in order to avoid escalating the security situation in the country. The is coming at the time when criminals disguise as Military and Para Military personnels to cause havoc in the society.

"The present situation does not support the use of Military camouflage by people who are not authorized or not personnels of DHQ. the criminals among us have had to take advantage of the Military, Police and other security agencies' gears to perpetrate crimes"

The Minister emphasized that there was the need to streamline the personnels that are authorized to use the Military camouflage as Government places ban on other Para Military Agencies from the use of the Military camouflage to bring sanity to the system and also as a way of checkmating criminal activities.

"The circular titled Observation on Proliferation in the Use of Camouflage Uniforms by Other Security Agencies in Nigeria," personally signed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, mandated personnels of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the Federal Fire Service, among others, to discontinue the use of camouflage uniforms henceforth, following the directive issued by ONSA."

 

Accordingly, the Minister the use of camouflage uniform by various security agencies other than the Armed Forces namely,  the Army, Navy and the Air Force remain banned. He however gave exception to the use by the Nigerian Police Force, which he said they can only use it when on Joint Operation with the Military.

He said the enforcement of the ban becomes imperative in view of the security implications and concerns raised on the clamour of duplicity and proliferation in the country.

 "The measure is aimed at check mating crime rate in Nigeria, adding that if we identify those that are authorized to use the camouflage,  we can quickly differentiate them from criminals that intend to confuse us," 

Dr. Matawalle in a statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, stressed that henceforth extant laws guiding the use of camouflage uniform in Nigeria would strictly be enforced.