Former Assistant Director of the State Security Service (SSS), Dennis Amachree has given an insight into why some state security outfits cannot bear arms like the AK47 rifles.
Amachree spoke in an interview with Channels TV monitored by TNC on the complaints by some state governors of not being allowed to arm their security outfits.
The two particular governors are Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
Recently, the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor said no state has the power to procure automatic weapons for its security outfits.
Amachree said those state security outfits were formed only as information-gathering outfits, for the formal security agencies like the Police, Army, or the DSS, and not as a fighting force.
According to him, as information-gathering outfits, the state security outfits were formed as hunters and farmers, who will look and see and inform the security agencies only.
“I agree with the CDS because he’s correct. Now, let us go back to the instruments that formed these regional security outfits,” he said.
“They were formed basically, as information gathering outfits for the formal security agencies like the Police, Army, or the DSS. So they are not a fighting force. They are not a fighting force. So when we forget that we feel that okay, they are supposed to be protecting, but that is not why they were formed. They were formed as hunters and farmers, who will look and see and inform the security agencies.”
The former SSS chief said although terrorists and bandits and other criminals bear heavy arms, does not mean the government should give everybody arms to fight the hoodlums.
“That is not the way we are looking at it from a security point of view,” the ex-SSS boss said.
“Yes, those bandits and terrorists are carrying guns does not mean that you should give everybody arms so that we start fighting the terrorists. The fight is for the military, the police, and the DSS to fight, not ours as citizens and besides, carrying an arm, a weapon, especially an automatic weapon, is a very dangerous thing. Many people don’t understand that.
“If you are not trained to carry those arms, you could even kill yourself, you know. I’ve had situations where even mobile police (mopols) who escort VIPs have shot themselves or shot the driver sitting in front of them. So it is very, very critical. I know that people are worried that CDS is worried about the proliferation of arms and small weapons. But that does not mean that everybody should be allowed to carry one.”
Amachree however, advised the CDS to arm the state security outfits only when the situation arises when they need armed responses in the course of their work.
“But at the same time for all the agitations that are coming from all the different regions and stuff like that. Of course, that should also advise the CDS that he should also do the needful, whereby when these people are collecting the information if they are in a situation where they need an armed response, he should be ready to supply that armed response to them.”
