RIFNOTE
Worried by what he described as Nigeria’s worsening security situation, Nigeria’s former Minister of Works and elder statesman, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, has called on the Federal Government to encourage Nigerians to bear firearms.
Ogunlewe,in a chat with Rifnote, said the Fire Arms Act permits Nigerians to “have firearms in self defence”.
“Why can’t we encourage it.Let people acquire arms. Let them be trained. Let them be licensed. Our law permits it. So,this sort of indiscriminate killings would stop because they don’t know the number of people that have license to carry arms in the community.It’s just for self defence, but it has to be regulated.
“Before, in this our estate, armed robbers were coming in the night, but a few of us had licensed guns.And it was difficult for them to overwhelm and overpower us .And on each occasion,we faced them, and they would run away. You cannot allow your people just to be killed indiscriminately and you keep quiet.”
According to Ogunlewe, Nigeria needs nothing less than 300,000 mobile policemen to fight insecurity. Rifnote reports that the politician said mobile policemen were better trained to fight insurgency,banditry and any form of insurrection, noting that Nigeria should stop engaging soldiers in matters of internal security.
Ogunlewe ‘s appeal came on the back of the recent attacks in three local governments in Plateau State that reportedly left at least 195 dead and over 2,000 houses burnt. The former Minister of Works said the investments Nigeria desires may continue to elude the country as no investor wants to get killed in a country that cannot guarantee security of lives and property.
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