Right to bear arms in Nigeria: A miss or a hit

Time is fast turning Nigeria’s security challenges into a difficult web of socioeconomic and sociopolitical misfortunes, which even political leaders have run out of favourable predictions to move the country out of the new normal – killings and kidnappings.

This could be the reason the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa, suggested that Nigerians should be allowed to bear arms in self-defence,  considering the deteriorating security situation in the country. Doguwa’s remarks followed the bombing of an Abuja-Kaduna train by terrorists last week. 

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His suggestion, of course, appealed to the views of some Nigerians who have a shortage of ideas to tame the lingering insecurity and see as the best path to ply- the legalisation of arms bearing. 

Call to allow the bearing of firearms has also found its way into the heart of Nigerians, who perhaps feel that by possessing a firearm, one is safe as any attack could be repelled. In supporting their genuine view, they have consistently quoted the United States of America where similar law exists. But how they have intentionally ignored the circumstance around the legalisation of arms bearing in America and America’s ability to track sales and use of firearms is disappointing.

As of today, Nigeria does not have the capacity to effectively implement this law if it ever comes to life. Apart from Nigeria’s penchant to manipulate anything that seems unalterable, we have the potential to make the country ungovernable with such a law. Security forces will have a harder bite to chew. 

A fragile nation like Nigeria with ethno-religious tensions should not be thinking of such a law at a time when there are separatist agitations here and there. The same way we cannot legalise cannabis, let’s desist from this debate for now.   It is a miss.

Uthman Qasim wrote from Abuja