Should Nigerians Be Allowed To Bear Arms? – Police Minister States His Position

For Nigeria’s Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, it is a no to allow every citizen to bear arms in the name of self-defence.

Naija News reports that several concerns have been raised over the incessant killings and attacks by bandit terrorists, Boko Haram, ISWAP and other criminal groups in the country.

Due to the disturbing occurrences, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa, last week said Nigerians should be allowed to bear arms in self-defence.

The lawmaker lamented the security status of the nation and believed that people should be allowed to defend their communities and family.

However, while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday evening, Dingyadi said allowing people to own arms will only worsen the situation than curbing it, Naija News reports.

Dingyadi said, “We are even doing all we can to ensure that we minimize the circulation of firearms among most Nigerians.

“We should restrict this to people who are supposed to own them, those who are supposed to use them, people who have been trained to use them and people who have access to use them.

“Otherwise, if you make it all people’s affair, it will worsen the situation. This is my honest opinion. I don’t share that view at this moment, I don’t support that,” the minister reiterated.

According to him, his ministry was doing everything in its capacity to ensure that the implementation of salary increment for police officers across the country becomes a reality as soon as possible.