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Insecurity: Reps fails to revisit motion seeking arms for Nigerians

The House of Representatives has failed to revisit a motion seeking to allow Nigerians carry licensed arms and ammunition one month after it was suspended.

While the sponsor, Mr. Uzoma Ikem-Abonta, was to move the motion on February 24, 2021, the House had resolved that it should be rescheduled to another legislative day.

The National Assembly has, however, adjourned sitting till April 13 to allow Christian members to celebrate Easter.

The Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd.), had on February 17, 2021, called on Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits, kidnappers and other criminals across the country.

Magashi, while responding to questions from journalists on the rising insecurity across the country, urged Nigerians to repel criminals when they attacked.

The minister stated: “It is the responsibility of everybody to be alert and ensure safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards. At times, the bandits will come with only about three rounds of ammunition and when they fire shots, everybody will run. In our younger days, we stood to fight any aggression coming to us. I don’t know why people are running away from minor, minor aggressors? They should stand and let these people (criminals) know that the people have the competence and capability to defend themselves.”

When asked if civilians would be allowed to carry firearms to protect themselves, Magashi said, “It is an issue even in the developed countries; they are still debating on it, whether to continue or stop. But I don’t advise Nigerians to use firearms for internal use.”

Speaking to our correspondent, Nkem-Abonta decried that his motion had not been listed on the Order Paper ever since.

The lawmaker said, “I cannot make a U-turn on my motion to revisit the licensing of guns; that is the subject matter of the motion; that the Federal Government under our dear President Muhammadu Buhari should revisit the Executive Order on licensing of guns and to beg the Inspector-General of Police to also reverse the mopping-up of guns.

“This should be done in the wake of our being told to defend ourselves, and we cannot defend ourselves with bare hands. I filed that motion, asking that we have a little bit of assurance that we can have something to defend ourselves with.”

Nkem-Abonta stated that the arms and ammunition he wanted to ask for were not assault rifles which no civilian gets a license to carry.

“This is for cartridges, dane guns, single-barrelled and double-barrelled guns and pump-action rifles, where the carriers are profiled and licenses issued to them,” he stated.

 

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