A former Commandant of the Nigerian Security & Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) Dr. Nnamdi Naps Okonkwo has called on members of the National Assembly to review the existing Firearms Act with a view to legalising the use of firearms by every Nigerian citizen who has attained a certain age.
Speaking exclusively in an interview with SECURITY EXPRESS on Friday, Okonkwo said it has become highly expedient for eligible citizens to be legally armed in the face of the increasing state of insecurity across the nation.
He explained that since violent crimes like kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, cultism, herdsmen attack and other forms of armed banditry have largely created a state of insecurity and invariably leaving the security agencies in a helpless situation, the alternative would be to legally authorise the citizenry to own firearms for self-defense.
He strongly believed that with such a development, the rate of violent crime would greatly reduce.
According to him, prior to Nigeria’s independence, the colonial administration had made it possible for certain category of Nigerians to obtain firearms under license for either sporting, gaming or self defence under the 1959 Firearms Act as amended.
He contended that under the prevailing Firearms Act, over a million Nigerians possess firearms with license and good enough, there have been few or no incidence of abuse.
The former NSCDC chieftain posited that if those who currently possess firearms with license across the country do not misuse same, there is the tendency that millions of other Nigerians if allowed to own firearms with licence will not abuse the use but rather use same in line with the provisions of the law.
He argued further that at 60 years as an independent nation with the military ruling for over 30 years with the force of arms purchased and provided by the civil populace, time has come for a paradigm in consonance with other democratic countries where the citizenry are authorised by law to possess firearms.
“If Nigeria is truly operating a free democracy like others, what are we afraid of, is the question uppermost in the mind,” he argued.
In his words, “democracy thrives all over the world and in every democracy, people are allowed the benefits of modern democracy as practiced in other climes. Such benefits include ownership of firearms as enshrined in the Firearms Act of 1959 as amended.”
The security icon who is currently the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Boyson Nigeria Limited; a security consulting firm noted with sadness that the firearms being freely used by kidnappers, armed robbers, pipeline vandals and other criminal elements do not have any record of ownership with the Nigeria Police Force as such firearms were illegally acquired.
“They are all alleged to have either been stolen, smuggled or supplied by some unknown criminal gangs,” he stressed.
Expressing worry over the increasing spate of attack with firearms by criminal elements against villagers, farmers and people in the rural communities, Okonkwo has challenged the National Assembly to critically review the extant firearms law with a view to giving the right to every Nigerian of age with legitimate means of livelihood to own a gun for the purpose of hunting, pleasure sport shooting or self-defense.
Citing examples with some African countries like South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Togo and European, Asian countries including America where people are legally permitted to bear firearms, the former Commandant tasked our legislators to review the Firearms Act in line with the current reality.
Okonkwo also expressed the belief that “if the Federal Government frees the space and license given back to importers of firearms who were hitherto, approved firearms dealers, there would be an end to arms smuggling, arms trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons that are not licensed.”
In his opinion also, freeing the space for a thorough business in the firearms industry would mean employment for Nigerians in firearms technology and/or repairs.
He also believed that if the Firearms Act is appropriately reviewed, “firearms dealers would have full records of all the sales of firearms that they have imported, sold and registered with the special department of the Nigerian Police generally referred to, as D7.”
With this, he added “that every single firearm in the country, no matter the make, origin and ownership would have been so recorded.”
He explained further that, consequent upon this recording, should there be a crime with firearm, such firearm can be singled out in the quantity of many others as the culprit or owner will be identified and brought to book.
The Boyson boss emphasised the fact that “no two firearms have the same signature as every firearm has its own signature. This is completely based on POU (Philosophy Of Use).
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/nass-should-review-existing-firearms-act-says-former-nscdc-chieftain-okonkwo/
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