Political activist Omoyele Sowore, former Youth and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung, and other Coalition of Nigerian Patriots agitators have called for the legalisation and approval of firearms for Nigerians to enable them protect themselves.
They claim that the approval of firearms will stop the ongoing genocide attacks and killings that occur in Benue, Plateau, Kwara, and other parts of the nation.
At a press conference on Friday in Abuja, they made the demand. This is coming barely five months after Ned Nwoko, the senatorial representative for Delta North, presented a measure to make weapons available to Nigerians.
The lawmaker emphasized that the police were underfunded and lacked the manpower necessary to secure Nigeria, explaining that the bill was formed out of the citizens’ desperate attempt to defend themselves against the growing insecurity.
He said, “Even more disturbing is a viral video where a self-identified Fulani coalition openly claimed responsibility for the killings and issued conditions to the Federal Government. The question to ask is: Who are their sponsors? Are they within the corridors of power?”
“If the state can’t protect Nigerians, the National Assembly, through voice votes, should amend the constitution to allow Nigerians to bear firearms. After all, it was the same voice votes they used to legalise the state of emergency in Rivers. They don’t even need a quorum anymore.”
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Dalung said it was regrettable that gruesome murders had been permitted to spread throughout the Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara, and certain areas of the North West, destroying lives, property, and means of subsistence in the process.
Dalung further condemned the Presidency for what he defined as a passive reaction and inaccurate reporting of the atrocity going on in these areas.
According to Sowore, the majority of Nigerians no longer hope or trust in the security agencies.
The former presidential candidate for the African Action Congress described the growing insecurity crisis nationwide in recent months as a sign that the police leadership had run out of ideas, even though he called the operatives stupid.
In his words, “We see what they have done so far as total failure. Anybody who identifies as Nigerian deserves protection. What has become clear is that we can’t have a crime of this magnitude without their enablers in government.
“If you look at the caliber of guns being used in these genocidal attacks, you will understand what I mean. They are not just military-grade; they are the type that can penetrate houses and metals. One thing we like to warn Nigerians about is that no matter how you take this thing for granted, one day it may be your turn.”
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[…] The governor stated that “a system of government from the grassroots where citizens will show interest and participate as well as putting preventive measures” would be necessary to overcome insecurity. […]