Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, says no state has the power to procure automatic weapons for its security outfits.
Irabor stated this on Friday while briefing newsmen after the National Security Council meeting in Abuja.
The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
While inaugurating the first batch of personnel of the state’s security outfit in August, Governor Ortom had said, “sophisticated weapons” would be provided for them.
On his part, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, in September, said the state would procure arms for operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun.
But Irabor while speaking on the development, said the licence for the procurement of automatic weapons — such as AK-47 — lies with the agencies of the Federal Government.
The CDS said, “Firearms fall into two major categories. You have the automatic weapons and the ones that we may classify as non-automatic weapons, which some of you may even have if you have the appropriate licences — talking about the pump action which are the very common ones, and sometimes even the dane guns some of the hunters use.
“What is involved in the class mentioned has to do with automatic weapons. There’s no state that has been given licence for that.
“So, you do not ask for what you do not have power to acquire.”