Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has reaffirmed the ban on unauthorised use of military camouflage, saying only the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force, while on Joint Operation with the Military, are allowed by law to use military camouflage.
The minister’s call comes against the backdrop of an increase in the use of military camouflage by kidnappers, bandits, and other criminals who disguise themselves as military and paramilitary personnel to cause havoc in society.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Henshaw Ogubike, while making this known in Abuja, said, the present situation does not support the use of military camouflage by people who are not authorised or not personnel of DHQ.
He said government ban on other paramilitary agencies from using military camouflage was to bring sanity to the system and also as a way of checkmating criminal activities.
Dr. Matawalle emphasised 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 Minister of State for Defence said that henceforth, extant laws guiding the use of camouflage uniforms in Nigeria would be strictly enforced.