Court Outlaws Governor Yahaya Bello’s Task Force On Firearms Control

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has outlawed the Special Task Force on Illegal Smuggling of Firearms established by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

The Court presided over by Justice James Omotosho, held that regulation and control of firearms were the sole responsibilities of the appropriate federal agencies and not state governments or agencies set up by them.

Justice Omotosho also held that the appointment of Mr. Friday Sani Makama as the Director General of the task force constituted by Governor Bello was a threat to the security of the state and therefore nullified the appointment forthwith.

The judgement of the Court followed a suit filed by Hon Ahmadu Danjuma marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/697/2023 in which he sued Governor Yahaya Bello, Mr Friday Sani Makama, the Director-General of State Security Service as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

Others joined in the suit include DG of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and the National Security Adviser (NSA) as 4th to 6th defendants.

Danjuma, through his lawyer, Promise Ogbadu, challenged Governor Bello’s setting up of the task force and giving them powers to regulate firearms within the state.

He said that Governor Bello, after the establishment of the task force, appointed Makama as the director general of the group.

The Court in its judgement delivered October 5, 2023, Justice Omotosho declared the task force as “illegal, null and void” and also held that Governor Bello had “no power whatsoever to unilaterally regulate or control the possession of, or dealing in firearms in Kogi State or any part thereof.

The trial judge held that it was only the DSS, NIA, IGP and the NSA that are the constitutionally recognised agencies saddled with the responsibility of firearms regulation in the country.

Justice Omotosho therefore ordered the retrieval of all arms in the possession of the task force, as well as a thorough investigation into the activities of Makama and all those under him.