In response to the escalating insecurity that has plagued the country in recent weeks, Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, has reiterated the ban on the unauthorised use of military camouflage.
He stated that only the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force, while on joint operation with the military, are legally permitted to use the camouflage.
This announcement was made in a statement released on Monday evening by Henshaw Ogubike, the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations. Ogubike noted that the current situation does not support the use of military camouflage by individuals who are not authorised personnel of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
He said, “The criminals among us have taken advantage of the military, police and other security agencies’ gears to perpetrate crimes.” This emphasises the need to streamline the personnel authorised to use military camouflage.
The government's ban on the use of military camouflage by other paramilitary agencies aims to bring sanity to the system and checkmate criminal activities. Matawalle underscored the readiness of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police to enforce the directive given by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, regarding the immediate cessation of the use of camouflage uniforms by paramilitary agencies.
The statement noted a circular titled “Observation on Proliferation in the Use of Camouflage Uniforms by Other Security Agencies in Nigeria,” signed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The circular 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 the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The minister reiterated that the use of camouflage uniforms by various security agencies other than the Armed Forces—namely the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force—remains banned. This move underscores the government's commitment to maintaining order and security in the face of ongoing challenges.