Nigerian Police Order Officers In Plain Clothes To Stop Carrying Rifles To Avoid Being Mistaken For Terrorists, Bandits
SaharaReporters obtained an exclusive copy of a wireless message issued from the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Protection, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The Nigeria Police Force has issued a fresh security directive to its officers across the country following a disturbing trend of attacks on off-duty policemen who are being mistaken for terrorists or bandits while moving around in civilian clothes and carrying firearms.
SaharaReporters obtained an exclusive copy of a wireless message issued from the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Protection, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The directive, dated July 17, 2025, with the reference number CB:0900/DOPS/SPU/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.9/29 SE, was circulated to police formations across the 36 states of the federation, including Lagos, Kano, Yola, Makurdi, Benin, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Lokoja, Umuahia, Sokoto, Osogbo, Bauchi, Abeokuta, Akure, Awka, Enugu, Ibadan, Minna, Calabar, Gombe, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and Owerri.
According to the document obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday, the directive warned police officers, especially those serving in volatile and hostile environments, to exercise utmost caution in how they carry their service weapons when off-duty and dressed in mufti.
The wireless message reads in part: “X FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM NIGPOL DOPS FHQ ABUJA IS HEREBY RELAYED XREGINS X CB:0900/FDPS/ X SECURITY DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.37/167 DTO:011300/07/2025
“GENERAL X FOLLOWING RECENT ATTACKS XON OFF-DUTY POLICEMEN X IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY X MISTAKEN FOR BANDIT. X DIGPOL DOPS DIRECTS X YCJ SERIOUSLY WARN PERSONNEL YOURS X PARTICULARLY THOSE SERVING IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS X TO BEGIN TO EXERCISE PROFESSIONAL CAUTION X HOW THEY BEAR THEIR OFFICIAL FIREARMS WHILE OFF-DUTY X AND MOVING AROUND IN MUFTI X WITHIN VOLATILE COMMUNITIES X.
“CITIZENS WITH EXPERIENCE OF HEINOUS CRIMES X ASSOCIATED WITH BANDITRY X TERRORISM X ETC X EASILY PRESUMES PERSONS IN MUFTI X BEARING FIREARMS X NOT DULY IDENTIFIED X AS BANDITS/TERRORISM X YOU ARE TO MAKE THIS SUBJECT OF LECTURE X TREAT AS IMPORTANT PLEASE X ENDS X AIGPOL PROTECT DIRECTS X NOTE X MAKE THIS SUBJECT OF LECTURE YOURS X TREAT AS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE.”
SaharaReporters reported a week ago that some gunmen believed to be behind an attack on a police patrol team in Imo State which claimed a life of a policeman with another missing had boasted how they launched the operation in a video.
In a one minute 47 second video clip, seen by SaharaReporters, the hoodlums had warned that they would not want to see any police personnel, military or personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Okigwe axis of Imo State, accusing them of extortion and extrajudicial killings.