By joshua AN EYE FOR AN EYE: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON LEGALIZING RESPONSIBLE FIREARM OWNERSHIP TO CHECK THE MENACE OF BANDITS ON OUR ROADS AND IN OUR HOMES
By Pastor Stanley Ajileye
Dear Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the National Assembly,
The ancient Mosaic Law states, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
Over the years, many have misunderstood this principle as an encouragement to violence. In reality, it was designed to restrain violence. It established a system in which potential aggressors understood that their actions would attract consequences. It was a doctrine of deterrence, a recognition that people are less likely to inflict harm when they know there will be a proportionate response.
Today, Nigeria finds itself confronted by a frightening security challenge that calls for bold thinking and courageous legislative action. Banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and violent attacks have become recurring features of national life. Our highways have become hunting grounds for criminals. Our farms have become danger zones. Our communities are under siege. Even our homes, once regarded as sanctuaries of safety, have become targets for heavily armed kidnappers and bandits.
Every day, innocent Nigerians travel our roads in fear. Parents worry when their children embark on journeys. Farmers are afraid to cultivate their lands. Entire communities sleep with one eye open, uncertain of what the night may bring.
The painful reality is that while criminals continue to acquire weapons with alarming ease, law-abiding citizens are largely left defenseless.
It is therefore time for the National Assembly to initiate and enact legislation legalizing responsible firearm ownership for qualified adult Nigerians as part of a broader strategy to check the menace of bandits on our roads and in our homes.
This proposal may sound controversial, but history provides useful lessons. The United States of America experienced periods of lawlessness, banditry, cattle rustling, train robberies, and attacks on settlements during its formative years. One of the factors that shaped its approach to firearm ownership was the recognition that citizens must possess the means to defend themselves when confronted by violent criminals.
Nigeria’s circumstances are not identical to those of the United States, but there is a lesson worth considering: criminals are emboldened when they believe their victims are helpless.
One can conveniently argue that the revocation of many private firearm licences and the withdrawal of firearms from law-abiding citizens during the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari may have unintentionally worsened the security situation. While the intention may have been to improve public safety, the practical outcome appears to have been that lawful citizens became more vulnerable while criminals remained armed.
The consequences are visible today.
Kidnappers no longer restrict themselves to isolated highways. They now invade homes and communities with audacious confidence. Families are abducted from their bedrooms. Villages are attacked in broad daylight. Criminals strike because they are convinced that their victims cannot fight back.
Human nature has not changed since biblical times. People are more cautious when they know resistance is possible.
If bandits know that every home they intend to invade may contain a trained and legally armed citizen, they will think twice before launching an attack.
If kidnappers know that passengers in an approaching vehicle may be armed with legally licensed firearms, road kidnappings will become significantly riskier ventures.
If criminals know that communities possess the lawful capacity to defend themselves until security agencies arrive, many attacks will be abandoned before they begin.
Indeed, experience already offers us a clue. On many Nigerian roads today, the people least likely to be attacked are those travelling with armed escorts. The sound of approaching sirens often sends bandits fleeing into the bushes because they know armed resistance is imminent. Criminals fear force. They avoid targets capable of defending themselves.
The ordinary Nigerian deserves the same measure of protection.
This is not a call for anarchy. It is not a call for vigilantism. It is not an invitation to lawlessness.
Rather, it is a call for responsible empowerment within a carefully regulated legal framework.
To ensure public safety, any legislation on civilian firearm ownership should incorporate strict safeguards and regulatory measures.
First, every applicant should undergo mandatory training and certification in firearm handling, storage, safety procedures, conflict de-escalation, and the ethical use of firearms.
Second, the National Assembly should establish a Firearms Regulatory Board charged with licensing, registration, monitoring, compliance enforcement, and maintenance of a national firearms database.
Third, every applicant should be subjected to thorough background checks to determine character, criminal history, and suitability.
Fourth, traditional rulers, village heads, community leaders, or equivalent local authorities should be required to attest to every application before approval. Such endorsement would help establish the identity, residency, and community standing of applicants, ensuring that licences are granted only to known and traceable citizens.
Fifth, there should be stiff penalties for illegal possession, unlawful transfer, reckless use, or criminal misuse of firearms.
Sixth, firearm licences should be renewable periodically, with refresher training programmes to ensure continued compliance with safety standards.
While these safeguards are essential, the process of acquiring a firearm licence should not be excessively cumbersome. A process burdened by bureaucracy, delays, and excessive costs may discourage compliance and create opportunities for corruption. The licensing process should therefore be transparent, efficient, accessible, and heavily subsidized for qualified applicants.
No responsible nation can prosper while its citizens live in constant fear. Economic development, agricultural productivity, education, investment, and social stability all depend upon security.
The constitutional responsibility for protecting lives and property rests primarily with the government. However, where criminal elements have become increasingly sophisticated and daring, citizens should not be denied the lawful means of protecting themselves, their families, and their communities.
The objective is not to replace the police, the military, or other security agencies. The objective is to complement their efforts by creating a society in which criminals are no longer guaranteed defenseless victims.
Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members, history will remember those who confronted difficult challenges with courage rather than hesitation.
The question before the National Assembly is simple: Should law-abiding Nigerians remain defenseless while criminals continue to carry weapons?
The time has come for a national conversation on responsible firearm ownership.
The time has come to give serious legislative consideration to empowering responsible citizens.
The time has come to restore deterrence.
The time has come to check the menace of bandits on our roads and in our homes.
Respectfully submitted.
Yours faithfully,
Pastor Stanley Ajileye
Ekinrin-Adde, Kogi State.