The National Centre for Control of Small Arms and Weapons has opposed the proposed bill that will allow Nigerians to bear arms for self-defence, insisting that Nigeria is not ripe for arms bearing.
Sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, the bill aims to empower Nigerians to bear arms in self-defence against crmnals.
Nwoko argued that allowing Nigerians to carry arms would be a deterrent to cr*minals, potentially addressing the country’s worsening security situation.
But the South-West Coordinator of the centre, Ben Akinlade, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said legalising arms for civilians could escalate v**lence
rather than curb it.
Akinlade, a former director of the Department of State Services, insisted that arms-bearing was not the solution to Nigeria’s security woes.
He cited America’s ongoing struggles with gn v*lence as an example, cautioning that Nigeria might face similar consequences if arms were made widely accessible.
