Defence chief warns Ortom, Akeredolu against procuring AK-47 for security outfits

Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff (CDS), says no state has the power to procure automatic weapons for its security outfits.

He said this on Friday in an interview with journalists after the national security council (NSC) meeting in Abuja.

The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

While inaugurating the first batch of personnel of the state’s security outfit in August, Ortom had said “sophisticated weapons” would be provided for them.

On his part, Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, in September, said the state will procure arms for operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun.

Speaking on the development, Irabor said the licence for the procurement of automatic weapons — such as AK-47 — lies with the agencies of the federal government.

“Firearms fall into two major categories. You have the automatic weapons and the ones that we may classify as non-automatic weapons, which some of you may even have if you have the appropriate licences — talking about the pump action which are the very common ones, and sometimes even the dane guns some of the hunters use,” he said.

“What is involved in the class mentioned has to do with automatic weapons. There’s no state that has been given licence for that.

“So, you do not ask for what you do not have power to acquire.”