President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all security agents to shoot at anyone seen with Ak-47 rifles in the country.
This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, while speaking in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa on Wednesday.
Shehu said the directive was given as part of efforts to rid the country of criminality.
He said government had to take the decision to forestall the thinking of ordinary Nigerians that the government is sleeping regarding tackling insecurity.
“The president has ordered security forces to go into the bushes and shoot whoever they see with sophisticated weapons like AK-47,” Shehu said.
Speaking further, he said the Federal Government’s decision to declare Zamfara State no-fly zone was because of the discovery that aircraft was being used to transport arms and gold.
Shehu noted that from intelligence report gathered by security operatives, private jets were being used to carry out the illicit acts.
He added that illegal miners were mining gold in Zamfara for exportation to the gold market in Dubai.
“The aircraft usually pick the gold deposits mined in some parts of Zamfara and export it. The state has one of finest gold deposits.
“There is a Nigerian gold market in Dubai. The government is losing, the people of this country are losing and that is why it is said that gold mining is banned for those who are not made by the government,” Shehu said.
