There is no denying that violence has become an unfortunate part of everyday life for many Nigerians. Across the country, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, armed robbery, and violent crime have created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. For many citizens, the question is no longer whether they will encounter insecurity, but when. Thus, it becomes necessary that something concrete has to be done to address this because a “desperate disease, requires a desperate cure”.
The first responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and property. While successive governments have invested heavily in military hardware, increasing the size of the army and security operations, insecurity continues to threaten communities across Nigeria. The men and women of the Armed Forces, the Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, and other security agencies deserve recognition for their courage under fire and sacrifice. They face an enormous challenge in protecting a nation of more than 200 million people against increasingly sophisticated criminal and terrorist networks. On behalf of grateful nation, I thank them for their service.
Yet courage alone cannot compensate for a lack of timely intelligence or the sheer scale of the security challenge. The society and nation has to fully realize that this is an existential threat, and thus end the terrorist repentance and reintegration policy that continues to expose our security services to moles within their ranks planted by Boko Haram, bandits and other criminal entities. The army cannot be fighting the insurgents and have the enemy within their ranks collecting firsthand information on troops movement and action plans for onward transmission to their terrorists brethren’s.
Intelligence Is the Missing Link
Over the past several years, I have consistently argued that Nigeria’s greatest security deficiency is not a shortage of weapons but a shortage of actionable intelligence. In previous articles, including “Insecurity in Nigeria: New Strategies to Defeating the Enemies Within”, and “State Police: A Solution in Search of a Problem” and recently the “One Million-Man Intelligence Agents: A bottom-up approach for securing Nigeria”, I have provided more than enough detailed steps of what needs to be done to defeat these enemies and secure the homeland. It is up to the federal, state and local authorities now to show the needed backbone and “cahunas” per political will to carry out the recommendations.
The reasoning is straightforward. Every kidnapper, terrorist, or bandit operates within or around communities. They rely on local collaborators for food, fuel, transportation, financing, communication, and intelligence. No insurgency survives for long without some degree of support or tolerance from its surrounding communities. Government should therefore establish a One Million-Man Community Intelligence Corps composed of responsible citizens drawn from every ward in Nigeria. These individuals would not function as combat troops but as trained community intelligence partners responsible for reporting suspicious activities through secure channels. Information gathered at the grassroots should flow through local government and state intelligence coordinators into the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser. Modern counterinsurgency is won through intelligence before it is won through firepower.
Winning the Support of Communities
Security is everyone’s business. Government must also win the confidence of the communities where insurgents operate. Citizens are far more likely to cooperate with security agencies when they trust those institutions and believe that their information will be acted upon professionally and confidentially. Community participation remains one of the most effective tools against terrorism and organized crime.
Strengthening the Legal Response
Nigeria should also strengthen the legal framework for combating terrorism, kidnapping, and organized violent crime. Specialized courts or tribunals with appropriate legal safeguards could help ensure that terrorism and kidnapping cases are heard efficiently while fully respecting constitutional rights, due process, and the rule of law. Equally important, those who knowingly finance, transport, shelter, supply, or otherwise materially assist terrorist or kidnapping organizations should face severe criminal penalties. Violent criminal organizations cannot survive without networks of logistical and financial support. Breaking those support networks is essential to defeating insecurity.
When Government Cannot Provide Adequate Protection
The right to life is one of the most fundamental rights recognized by every democratic society. When citizens increasingly feel unsafe in their homes, on highways, in markets, on farms, and even in places of worship, it is understandable that questions arise about how individuals may lawfully protect themselves and their families. If government remains unable to provide adequate security despite sustained efforts, then Nigeria should begin a serious national conversation about whether its laws governing civilian firearm ownership remain appropriate.
This should not be viewed as an invitation to lawlessness or vigilantism. Rather, it should be an opportunity for lawmakers, security professionals, legal experts, and civil society to examine whether carefully regulated civilian firearm ownership could contribute to public safety. Any such framework would necessarily include stringent licensing procedures, comprehensive background investigations, mandatory firearm training, mental health assessments where appropriate, secure storage requirements, periodic license renewal, and severe criminal penalties for misuse or unlawful possession. The objective should be responsible regulation, not unrestricted access.
Addressing the Critics
Critics often argue that expanding civilian access to firearms could increase violence or accidental deaths. Those concerns deserve careful consideration. At the same time, supporters of reform argue that today’s reality is already deeply troubling. Criminal organizations routinely possess illegal firearms regardless of existing laws, while many law-abiding citizens remain entirely dependent upon security agencies that cannot always respond in time. This imbalance has contributed to growing public frustration and renewed debate over lawful self-defense. Whether or not Nigeria ultimately changes its firearm laws, that debate should be informed by evidence, constitutional principles, and the country’s unique security realities.
The Way Forward
Nigeria cannot continue responding to insecurity with the same strategies while expecting dramatically different outcomes. My preferred solution remains the establishment of a One Million-Man Community Intelligence Corps capable of supplying security agencies with continuous, real-time, actionable intelligence from every ward and community across the nation. However, if government is unable to guarantee the safety of law-abiding citizens despite these efforts, then Nigerians are justified in calling for a comprehensive national debate on whether the country’s firearm laws should be modernized to better reflect the realities of self-defense, while maintaining strong public safety safeguards. Security is everyone’s business. Every Nigerian has the right to live in peace, pursue legitimate opportunities, raise a family without fear, and enjoy the protection of the law.
The time has come for bold, practical, and carefully considered reforms that place the safety and security of every Nigerian at the centre of national policy. In line with this summation, I call for the immediate passage of gun rights legislation by the National Assembly to give our people the right to defend themselves against criminals and bandits that make life unlivable for them and their families in their homes and communities. Gun rights today, gun rights tomorrow and gun rights forever.
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Long Live the Peace Loving People of Nigeria.
Nosa Ota Osaikhuiwu President, Foundation for Ethical Society & Cultural Awareness (FESCA) writes from Houston, Texas.
