Defence Minister: Ban on Unauthorised Use of Camouflage in Force

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Following the state of insecurity in the country, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has reaffirmed the ban on unauthorised use of military camouflage, saying that it was only the military and the Nigeria Police, while on Joint operation, were allowed by law to use the military camouflage.
The minister’s position followed rampant cases of criminals disguised as military and paramilitary personnel using military camouflage to commit crimes.
“The present situation does not support the use of military camouflage by people who are not authorised or not personnel of DHQ'” he said.
He stated that “the criminals among us have had to take advantage of the military, police and other security agencies’ gears to perpetrate crimes”.
The minister emphasised that there was the need to streamline the personnel that are authorised to use the military camouflage.
He said government’s ban on other paramilitary agencies from the use of the military camouflage was to bring sanity to the system and also as a way of checkmating criminal activities.
Matawalle assured of the readiness of the Nigeria Armed Forces 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 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 uniform 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 which he said they can only use it when on joint operation with the military.
He said the enforcement of the ban becomes imperative in view of the security implications and concerns raised on the clamour of duplicity and proliferation in the country.
He pointed out the importance of this caution saying that “the measure is aimed at checkmating crime rate in Nigeria, adding that if we identify those that are authorised to use the camouflage, we can quickly differentiate them from criminals that intend to confuse us,” he said.
Matawalle said that henceforth extant laws guiding the use of camouflage uniform in Nigeria would strictly be enforced, a statement by the Ministry of Defence, said.