The Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, has directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to immediately withdraw all camouflage uniforms from security and law enforcement agencies under its supervision.
ONSA’s directive was in a circular dated January 16, 2024, addressed to the Honorable Minister of Interior.
The circular sighted by our correspondent and titled “Observation on Proliferation in the Use of Camouflage Uniforms by Other Security Agencies in Nigeria” was signed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser of the NSA.
According to Ribadu, personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, together with the Federal Fire Service, among others, are to discontinue henceforth using the camouflage uniforms at their disposal, following the directive issued by ONSA.
The NSA observed that the persistent proliferation of camouflaged uniforms by the aforementioned security and law enforcement agencies makes the outfit easily accessible to criminals and impostors while also exacerbating the already challenging security situation facing the country.
He said: “Case in point was the recent unfortunate attack on communities in Plateau State, where the perpetrators were reportedly dressed in camouflage uniforms. This further underscores the need to ensure that the ban placed on camouflage uniforms by security agencies other than the Armed Forces and the Police on special occasions, such as joint operations, is strictly enforced.”.
Ribadu urged the Interior Minister to take the necessary steps and place stringent measures to ensure that the ban on camouflage uniforms is upheld, enforced, and strictly complied with by all security and enforcement establishments under his supervision.
NewMailNG gathered that ONSA has been inundated with concerns over the upsurge in the use of camouflage uniforms by various security agencies other than the Armed Forces and, on special occasions, such as joint operations, the Nigeria Police.
Over the years, the Federal Government has taken several measures to ensure that camouflage uniforms are restricted to the Armed Forces and, on special occasions, the police. Still, the concerned agencies have not obeyed the orders.
The major culprits who have disregarded the ban and included camouflage uniforms in their dress code, according to NewMailNG’s findings, are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS), thus the use of the uniforms.