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| Prof. Itse Sagay, believes it's time for Nigerians to be allowed to bear arms. |
Chief of Iwo, Abiola Ogundokun, is not in support of the idea that Nigerians should be allowed to bear arms for self defense. He justified his position by arguing that Nigerians are embittered for many reasons and would most likely see the approval as an opportunity to seek vengeance.
The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, had recently advocated for the legalization of arms in the country as a way to empower Nigerians to defend themselves especially now that government protection is no longer guaranteed.
He said that his call was necessitated by increased unprovoked attacks against hapless Nigerians by bandits and other criminals across the nation and the seeming helplessness of the security forces.
He said, “The country has become so dangerous. All sorts of things are happening nowadays. You have kidnappers, bandits, Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram. The reality is that there is nowhere that is safe in the country. Traveling by road today is a very risky endeavour that one will hardly try. So, there is total insecurity in the country.
“I don’t know what has gone wrong, why our people have become so violent and savage. Individuals no longer feel safe outside his own house. I am not even sure that one is absolutely safe in his own house.
“What I will like to suggest to the government is that they should allow ordinary Nigerians to carry arms. Everybody who wants to carry arms as a form of self-defence should be allowed to do so. This is necessary so that when these bandits and miscreants attack them, they will know that the person they attacked has the capacity to defend himself.
“All these restrictions on owning weapons should be lifted. Let the generality of the public be allowed to own weapons, especially in all those villages where they are being massacred. Their men should be given weapons so that when the attackers come, they will also be given a challenge which may discourage them in future.
“We have had causes where bandits attacked villages but the people are powerless to defend themselves. By the time the security agents come in, the attackers had left. They will look for a quiet time and launch another attack. That will stop if the people have the capacity to defend themselves.”
However, Ogundokun said approving licences for individuals to have guns could lead to more chaos, according to a Vanguard report.
Speaking during the 41st memorial prayer of his father in Iwo, Osun State, the Obanla of Iwo added that to tackle insecurity appropriately in the country, parents must nurture their children with appropriate values rather than emphasising on materialism that usually force youths to want to cut corners to achieve success.
He said, “If everybody is licenced to carry guns, many people will be killed – both criminals and innocent people. Recently, they kidnapped 334 boys in Kankara, Katsina State using motorbikes, that is a big conspiracy in the state.
“We are not disciplined in this country, look at the USA and other developed countries where people are allowed to carry guns, there is strict control against indiscriminate use and the leaders respect the rule of law, respect the police and citizens obey the law. But here, criminals gang up with the elite to unleash terror on society.
“Even the elite lack the temperament to carry guns because once a misunderstanding occurs, the next thing you will witness is that they will just bring out their guns and begin to kill one another.
“All of us – the parents – should run less after money but focus on the quality upbringing of our children, it is a great community service. We should work and think of what we can do for the community.”