By George Mgbeleke

Prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the Inspector General of Police Mr. Tunji Disu to withdraw his illegal and unconstitutional shoot-on-sight-order whuch he reportedly gave to armed police operatives against non-state actors allegedly carrying ‘unlicensed’ weapons.

HURIWA recalled that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, had issued a sweeping shoot-on-sight directive to police officers nationwide, ordering them to neutralise anyone found in possession of illegal firearms as part of a renewed federal push to curb insecurity.

HURIWA

He said the order was in direct response to President Bola Tinubu’s instruction that the wave of killings and armed attacks in Benue “must be brought to an end.”

“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” Disu said.

He stated: “The era of passive policing is over. We must be proactive to protect lives and property.”

He said that officers have now been fully activated under Force Order 237, the police regulation governing the use of force, which allows them to respond decisively to imminent threats without waiting for approval from superiors.

HURIWA recalled that the Force Order 237 cited by the IGP as backing his shoot-on-sight-order stated that police personnel confronting armed suspects are empowered to use lethal force where there is reasonable belief of danger to officers or civilians.

“We have given them instructions. We have a Force Order 237. Police officers have been instructed that they don’t need to wait for any superior order. They know where to deploy their firearms,” Disu explained.

“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.
They have been instructed to shoot at sight. They have been trained to do what is necessary.”

Reacting to this sweeping order by the police chief of Nigeria, civil society organisation, the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said the IGP has no power under the law to order his operatives to SHOOT-ON-SIGHT citizens perceived to be carrying weapons because that would directly violate section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which is supreme and superior to any lesser statute such as the Force order 237 which the Inspector General of Police grounded his shoot-on-sight-order upon.

HURIWA quoted section 33(1) which says thus: “Every person has a right to life, and no one SHALL BE DEPRIVED INTENTIONALLY OF HIS LIFE, save in execution of the sentence of a court of competent jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.”

The Rights group asserted that the reckless issuance of a shoot-on-sight-order by the police head of Nigeria would result in extrajudicial killings of Nigerians given the fact that a greater percentage of operatives of the Nigeria Police Force that bear arms have been accused of lacking professionalism and are grossly indisciplined and therefore can misinterprete the publicised illegal shoot-on-sight-order to shoot on sight anyone bearing weapons even before ascertaining whether the bearer has licence or not. The Rightsvgroup said under the law the penalty for possession of unlicensed weapons is not instantaneous execution by shoot-on-sight-order by the Nigeria Police Force acting on a certain shoot-on-sight-order made by the IGP.

The IGP does not have the constitutional competence to act as a judge, a prosecutor and executioner in the cases of persons accused of carrying unlicensed weapons moreover, does the inspector General of Police needs to publicise the fact that police operatives are allowed to use their weapons in the lawful execution of their counterterrorism duties? How does the IGP want the operatives of the police to simply shoot on sight whenever they see someone bearing weapons even if such persons belongs to vigilante or community security already allowed by laws passed by the state houses of Assembly to provide armed security to their communities? This shoot-on-sight-order by the IGP is reckless, unlawful and unconstitutional and must be withdrawn forthwith.

By George Mgbeleke

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has assured Nigerians that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu – led administration will do all within its powers to ensure that the problems of insecurity currently confronting the country became a thing of the past.

Akpabio gave the assurance on Wednesday, while receiving in courtesy, members of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria led by its National President, Dr Lima Ahmed at the National Assembly.

A statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the President of the Senate, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying,
” On behalf of the Nigerian Senate, I welcome you to the National Assembly. I am equally very happy to receive you in my office. As Nigerians we are all aware of the insecurity challenges we are currently facing and all I can say is that President Bola Ahmed is giving the situation its utmost attention and that is what led to the recent release of the school children that were abducted in Oyo State.

” The current administration is doing a whole lot and I can assure you that very soon, the issue of security would be a thing of past. Don’t rely on what you hear or see in the social media, they are not true reflection of what is happening in our country”

Speaking further, Akpabio traced the refusal of women in supporting themselves during elections for political offices, to the toxic behaviour of those who had in the past been given the opportunities for such positions, only to misuse it to the future detriment of other women.

Akpabio assured the golfers of his support and that of the Senate for their forth coming international Ladies tournament to be hosted at the IBB International Golf Course in Abuja.

Earlier in her speech, Dr Lima Ahmed thanked the Senate President for accepting to receive her and her team. She formally invited the Senate President to the planned tournament and subsequently decorated him as their grand Patron of the group.

By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna

The Minna Federal High Court Division,has adjourned the suit filed by Shehu Samaila Auna,against Prof. Yakubu Mohammed Auna,over the conduct of primary election of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to 16th, to 17th, of September 2026 for the commencement of hearing.

This followed the preliminary objection filed by the counsel to the first defendant Philip Adah Esq alleging that the action of the plaintiff to file the case is status bar praying the court to dismiss the suit.

The counsel urged the dismiss the case on the ground that the plaintiff filed the case out of time as stipulated by the relevant provision of the electoral act 2025.

Shehu Samaila Auna,has approached the court to through his counsel, Danjuma Abubakar Sadeeq challenging the conduct of the APC primary election of Prof. Yakubu Auna,into the Rijau Magama Federal Constituency at the May, 16th, primary election.

The plaintiff in a suite number FHC/MN/CS/542026/ is challenging the purported Primary election claiming that election was not conducted in Rijau and Magama Federal Constituency as claimed by the first defendant and the second defendant respectively.

The plaintiff is praying the court to nulify the purported Primary election on the ground that election was not conducted as claimed praying further that another primary election should be conducted in Rijau and Magama Federal constituency.

At the resumed hearing, the counsel to the second defendant filed a preliminary objection urging the court to dismiss the suit arguing that the suit lacked merit as the plaintiff failed to file the case on time as stipulated by law.

The counsel to the plaintiff,Danjuma Abubakar Sadeeq,in his submission,told the court that the preliminary objection was served to him at about 4:15 pm on Tuesday,21st of July,2026 and he needed time to reply to the preliminary objection.

“ My Lord,I was served, I was served with the preliminary objection by 4:15pm yesterday,the 21st of July,2026. And I needed time to reply to his preliminary objection (PO). On this ground, I prayed the court adjourned for me to respond to his (PO) as raised” he told the court.

While granting the prayer, Justice Mohammed Abdullahi Dan-Ige then adjourned the case to 16th and 17th of September 2026 for commencement of hearing.