Self-Defence, Masari Not Crying Wolf.We Are Helpless, Nigerians (Vanguard News)

General Theophilus Danjuma, former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defence had on March 24 2018 called on Nigerians to rise up and arm themselves against the murderous attacks by Fulani herdsmen following the failure or inability of the Federal Government to defend the citizens. Eminent Nigerians, including Professor Ben Nwabueze and Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State gave their backing for Nigerians to arm themselves in the face of killings across the country.

Similarly, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), on at least two occasions advised President Muhammadu Buhari to allow ordinary Nigerians to bear fire arms in order to protect themselves, arguing that the state of insecurity in the country has assumed a huge dimension and communities and individuals need to defend themselves against attacks.

Sagay, who said the Federal Government was overwhelmed by various security challenges bedeviling the nation, such as Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and herdsmen attacks contended that Nigerians should be allowed to defend themselves when attacked. “We should all be armed so that anybody coming to attack you will know that he too has no chance of surviving. Communities should be armed; individuals should be armed. That is balance of terror”, Sagay had said.

The call for Nigerians to take up arms and defend themselves however came from an unusual quarters during the week. This time, it came from Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari. The governor, who paid a condolence visit last Tuesday to the families of 10 persons who were killed after being hit by a Nigeria Customs vehicle called on residents, especially in the areas prone to banditry to acquire and defend themselves against attackers. He said “we must all rise up to counter the insecurity challenge, we must not sit and watch some people buying guns attacking our houses, we too should buy the guns and protect ourselves”. He argued that it was the people’s meek submission that emboldened the bandits to continue with their heinous activities.

Nigerians have expectedly reacted to Governor Masari’s suggestion. While he had the support of many Nigerians, others called for caution saying it would be an invitation to anarchy in the country.

Self defense, invitation to anarchy

The paramount traditional ruler of Abriba ancient kingdom, Abia State, HRM Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu (Enachioken Abriba), said that “if security had so deteriorated in Katsina being the home state of President Buhari, then no other part of the country is safe anymore. Katsina is the home State of the current President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The call for every citizen to arm himself in self defense simply means that this government has finally failed. Let them own up, it’s resignation in a fluent language.

Self defense has become inevitable as government vested with the mandate of securing lives and property has woefully failed in its constitutional responsibility. On the face value, it appears to be the most appropriate thing to do since the state that has the monopoly of the instrument of violence has woefully failed to secure the citizens. However, self defense could turn out to be an invitation to anarchy in the country. I am afraid that it may in the long run be a clear prescription for chaos in Nigeria.

What we need now is a total overhaul of the security apparatus of the nation immediately. After the overhaul comes the political will from the presidency to restore confidence and address the security challenges head on. I believe we have a strong, virile and professional security agencies that are capable of dealing with the situation. What is required is simply the political will and the surgical removal of the fifth columnist in all our security forces that are currently ravaging the system. It’s now or never”.

Nigeria is gradually assuming the status of a failed state

In his response, third republic senator who represented Abia North, Senator Emma Nwaka, also said that: “The main business of government is the protection of lives and property, anything less amounts to failure in responsibility.

The coercive instruments of power in a normal state as of right should be under the firm control of government. It is only in a failed state that individuals resort to self-help as the norm to protect their lives and property. And when that is the case, the tendency is that firearms and other dangerous weapons will find their way into the hands of miscreants and the end-result would be untamed increase in criminality and barbarity.

In such a state, no one is safe whether rich or poor including high government officials. So, for a sitting governor to lead the charge for individuals to arm themselves for their own protection is proof that Nigeria is gradually assuming the status of a failed state. Of course, no one living in Nigeria can accuse the governor of crying wolf. Life has become so cheap in virtually every part of Nigeria and the worst is that no record is being kept as to the identity of those who die needlessly often in the hands of identifiable non-state actors. Most times, the dead end up in mass graves unmourned. The former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Abia State, expressed his displeasure over the continued release of purported repentant terrorists without prosecution after unleashing horror on innocent folks. “Rather what we hear is that those who have turned Nigeria into a killing field are rehabilitated and reintegrated into society on account of the dubious claim that they have repented. Meanwhile, there is no compensation for the relatives of those whose lives were cut short often in a most gruesome manner.”

The country may soon become another Afghanistan

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders COSEYL, in its reaction by its President, Comrade Goodluck Ibem said:”if residents should adhere to this call to acquire weapons to defend themselves, it means that there will be total anarchy and nihilism. What will happen will be more dangerous than what is happening presently in Afghanistan. The reign of terror will spread to other States and there will be no country called Nigeria again.

Govt should liberalise fire arms licence

In his submission, former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Idada Ikponmwen, said: “General Theophilus Danjuma gave the first warning when he told the people of Taraba state to be ready to defend themselves. He said if you don’t do so you might find yourselves and your people dying one by one, he was criticized here and there. Then not too long ago, none other than the Minister of Defence, Gen Bashir Magashi, said so too.

So many other persons have come to believe that our salvation lies in our hands. The right to life is fundamental, it is in our constitution and the first instinct of a human being is to survive against any hindrance and the way you defend yourself from the aggressor depends on the aggressor’s approach to you. If the aggressor is strolling in, you stroll him out, if the aggressor is crashing in, you crash him out, if he is firing in, you might as well fire him out. That is the only way to sustain the right to life and the right to self defense.

This is why in times like this, when all the efforts seem to have failed especially when the existing government seems to have failed in keeping its security responsibilities to its citizens, it is only natural in an environment like ours now for the government to liberalise the issue of firearms license so that the aggressors will also know that the person they are going to assault is also armed, that is the proper thing to do.

But that does not remove the fact that there is a social contract concept in which people give out some of their rights to the government so that the government can protect them. In the absence of that, if the government fails to guarantee the rights to life and other rights of individuals, then it is like there is no government, it is like the government has failed.

The government has a responsibility, that is why people pay taxes, that is why people say they have an army, police and several other security agencies. Are we balancing all these properly in this country right now? If not, do you now blame anybody who appears to be speaking from despair and holding whatever extreme views he might have? That is not to say that these people talking don’t know that there are policemen, there is army, there are security operatives. This country needs a rethink, this country needs a reconfiguration, this country needs to sit down and talk.”

The country has degenerated to a failed state

Arguing in a similar vein, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, said that Governor Masari’s call simply meant that the country had degenerated to a failed state noting that the call was not out of place given the situation in the country. According to the National President of the Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, “the call by the governor for the people to acquire weapons to defend themselves against bandits just means that the government has failed. So, we are operating a failed state and the governor is responding accordingly. Now as the governor, he is the Chief Security Officer of the state, but you know that the ordinary people do not have the wherewithal to buy the weapons he is talking about.

Though it is necessary for Nigerians to acquire weapons to defend themselves; what we are suggesting is that the Governor should acquire legal weapons which include shotguns, double barrels, pump action guns and give the weapons to vigilante to defend the people.

We are not opposed to that because that is where we have found ourselves now and there is nothing anybody can do about it. The security forces have failed and they seemed to be controlled by powers that are sympathetic to the bandits, Boko Haram and so on. And because of that people are being attacked and never defended. Therefore, the governor is right to have said that the last resort is for people to defend themselves but they do not have the resources”.

Nigerians carrying arms will resort to state of anomie

A don, Professor Oyesoji Aremu of the Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, said that allowing Nigerians to carry arms in bid to protect themselves against bandits will pose a great threat to the unity and security of an average Nigerian. He said, “I think the call by the governor was borne out of frustration of his administration in contending with the continuous insurgence over there. But if a governor is saying that Nigerians should take up arms then the question is what is the function or role of the government?

The absolute role of any government is protection of lives and property. As long as government cannot do that, that government is not supposed to be in power again. It shows the government is not alive to its responsibilities expected of the state. It is the state that is supposed to provide the citizens with adequate security. If a citizen is requested to carry arms, that means it will get to a state of anomie or disorderliness in which everything is unregulated again. You know some people can just get frustrated and begin to kill people. Allowing all Nigerians to carry arms poses a great threat to the unity and security of an average Nigerian.”

Criminality will increase

In Taraba state, Wole Ayodele said, “The implication of every Nigerian acquiring arms for self defence against terrorism is very grave. It will further compound the proliferation of arms with its attendant increase in crime and criminality. But the failure of the security agencies seems to make the acquisition of arms by everyone an inevitable option. The government and its agencies have failed to secure the citizenry and the people may have to resort to self help.”

Gabriel Yough on his part said, “Resorting to this call can lead to anarchy but that is the result of a failed government. Since the National Assembly seems not to have an answer to the killings in the country, Masari’s call may soon become the only option for survival in the country.”

Another respondent, Shalom Sati said, “The government just needs to equip the country’s security agencies, provide jobs for the citizens and make available infrastructure and social amenities for people to thrive.”

Jibaniya Simon Awudu, on his part said, “When there is proliferation of arms in the name of self defence, the implication is that there will be high level of criminal activities. But that notwithstanding, I suggest that instead of personal procurement of arms, let every community have its own police such as vigilante group, among others. When we have such in every community, it will at least be of help and the terrorists can be checked.”

Free access to arms won’t solve our security challenges

According to Anthony N Z Sani,the immediate past Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum( ACF), Masari’s suggestion contradicted presidential directive to shoot at sight those who are not security personnel and are carrying fire arms. He said “we cannot lose sight of the fact that our system is clear about delineation of authority. For example, where the federal law is at variance with state law, that of federal should prevail. Therefore I do not expect that the directive by Governor Masari of Katsina state, can override the presidential directive.

I am not sure that allowing Nigerians free access to fire arms can solve the problems of insecurity posed by insurgency, banditry, gun men, cattle rustling, kidnapping, militant activism, clashes between herders and farmers, ritual killing and raping as well as cultism, considering what is happening in America where unbridled access to fire arms by Americans has cost over 8,000 of American lives this year alone.