The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has reaffirmed the ban on unauthorised use of military camouflage, noting that only the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force while on joint operation with the military are allowed by law to use military camouflage.
Director (Information, Press& Public Relations) of the ministry, Henshaw Ogubike stated this in a statement.
The minister’ call is coming at a time when criminals disguised as military and paramilitary personnel to cause havoc in society.
“The present situation does not support the use of Military camouflage by people who are not authorized or not personnel of DHQ,” the minister said.
According to him, the criminals have had to take advantage of the military, police and other security agencies’ gears to perpetrate crimes.
The minister emphasised the need to streamline the personnel authorised to use military camouflage.
He said government ban on other paramilitary agencies from the use of military camouflage was to bring sanity to the system and also as a way of checkmating criminal activities.
Matawalle emphasised the readiness of the Nigeria Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police to enforce the directive given by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, regarding the immediate cessation of the use of camouflage uniforms by para-military agencies.
“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 personnel 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 stated that the use of camouflage uniforms 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 can only be used when on joint operation with the military.