Police Ban Plainclothes Officers from Carrying Rifles to Avoid Deadly Confusion

The Nigeria Police Force has directed its officers to stop carrying rifles while in civilian clothing following a disturbing trend of fatal misunderstandings in various parts of the country. The new directive comes amid rising cases where plainclothes officers bearing firearms are mistaken for terrorists or bandits by civilians, leading to attacks and, in some instances, deadly consequences.

An internal wireless message exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters reveals that the order was issued from the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Protection at Force Headquarters, Abuja. The document, dated July 17, 2025, and referenced CB:0900/DOPS/SPU/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.9/29 SE, was circulated to police formations across all 36 states, including key cities such as Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, and Calabar.

The message specifically warns officers—particularly those deployed in volatile or hostile environments—to apply “professional caution” when handling their service firearms off-duty. It notes that civilians traumatized by widespread insecurity tend to associate anyone in plain clothes carrying a weapon with criminal groups, especially in areas affected by terrorism and banditry.

The directive emphasizes the importance of avoiding unnecessary exposure to risk, urging commanders to brief their personnel regularly and treat the matter with urgency. It states: “Citizens with experience of heinous crimes associated with banditry and terrorism easily presume persons in mufti bearing firearms, not duly identified, as bandits or terrorists.”

The warning comes shortly after SaharaReporters reported on a violent attack in Imo State, where armed assailants ambushed a police patrol team, killing one officer and leaving another missing. In a video obtained by the outlet, the attackers claimed responsibility and threatened continued violence against security agents in the Okigwe axis, accusing them of extortion and extrajudicial actions.