TIME TO ARM STATE VIGILANTES WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS

The bane of Public Administration in Nigeria is the absence of critical discussion by Stakeholders; lack of
patience, focus and drive to push for appropriate results. Why is it so?

It appears that unpatriotic elements have captured Nigeria politically, economically and socially;
through naked power manipulations, corrupt/unaccountable resource utilization; and corrosive joggling
of social fault lines to hold Nigerians down. They neither encourage, nor allow critical discussions for any
kind of growth or liberation. Almost perpetually alert to extinguish any flashes of redeeming power.

Institutions like the National and State Assemblies ought to be at the forefront, encouraging public
discourse and engaging the Executive Arm of Government to take action on matters of public interest.
Regrettably, the Assembly's leaderships and members are always missing at a time Nigerians expect
them to be up and doing. You hardly see the Assemblies doing the needful. Can you imagine the
National Legislature of any development-conscious country going on annual vacation when the country's
Universities were shut, not on account of war or natural disaster, but simply because of disagreement
over funding? Again, this is not entirely surprising, because even when they're in session, some of them
see it as opportunity to have a quick nap.

Few weeks ago, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, and Grand Commander of Amotekun Southwest
Vigilante Outfit, His Excellency, Rotimi Akereduolu, expressed readiness to arm the Amotekun Security
Corps with Automatic guns. This followed his understanding that the Federal Government had given
Katsina State Government approval to arm its Vigilante with automatic weapons. Amotekun operatives
uses Pump Action Guns; faces alot of challenges taking on terrorists, who are armed to the teeth with
latest AK-47 and RPGs. If not that the intimidating aura of the lion gives it protection, Amotekun Corps
confronting AK-47 wielding Bandits can be described as people on suicide mission. As a responsible
leader, Governor Akereduolu was genuinely concerned about what his Corps uses to protect themselves
and serve the general public. Additionally, against the background of Owo Catholic Church massacre and
other horrible attacks witnessed in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akereduolu believed that FG would not
pick holes with his idea of arming Amotekun appropriately, having kept quiet when Katsina State muted
the same idea of arming civilians to defend themselves.

On hearing Governor Rotimi Akereduolu's declaration, the Presidency came out on Tuesday 27/9/2022
spitting fire; it raised objections to the idea of States' arming their Vigilantes with automatic weapons;
and vehemently denied ever granting approval to Katsina State or any other State to procure automatic
weapons. "The Presidency wishes to strongly assert that there is no State, not Katsina, not any other in
the Federation, that has been authorized to procure automatic weapons for their security outfits."
Continuing, the statement said, "under this administration, the President has repeatedly made it clear
that nobody is allowed to illegally carry AK-47 or any other automatic weapons and that they must
surrender them." It further maintained that possession of automatic weapons and AK-47 remains illegal
in Nigeria. Surprisingly, this is the same weapon that an elite Army Officer was caught in Zuba area of
Abuja, supplying same to Kidnappers for a fee.

To further underscore FG's vehemence, the Presidency stated that, "under existing regulations, only the
Office of the National Security Adviser can issue such authorization upon proper clearance by the
President and Commander-in-Chief and as it is at the moment, no such approvals have been issued to
any State Government." In the same vein, the Presidency sought to "bury" Akereduolu's noble initiative
by releasing details of what happened between FG and Katsina State. "In the specific Katsina State often
cited, the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari wrote to explain that the administration invited the Provost of
the Civil Defence Training College in Katsina to train their Vigilantes for a five-day period ... in handling
and operations of Pump Action Rifles," emphasizing that the Vigilantes were not trained to take over the
responsibilities of the security agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria but to assist them "
Arising from the detailed statement of the Presidency, you would have observed what one might call,
blind and illogical vehemence not targeted at solving a serious problem threatening the foundationals of
Nigeria. I found FG's disposition a little bit intriguing. It has never come out to forcefully offer
explanations why whole communities were sacked in Zamfara, Borno, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Taraba,
Plateau, Kaduna or Katsina; nor convincingly explained instances where gallant soldiers got killed in
avoidable terrorist ambush. This is the same unresponsive template with which FG monopolized internal
security keeping but reality on ground suggests that Government's best efforts are not sufficient to
guarantee security of lives and properties across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Has the National
Assembly intervened to guage public opinion; provide balance and responsive legislations? No. It
remains aloof to the conversations even though Zamfara, Benue, Katsina and Ondo State Governors
have expressed serious concerns about the security situation in their Stares.

Statistics of insufficiency of security operatives and equipment is staggering. What else do we want to
hear? Nigeria's security situation is beyond unstructured assistance from Vigilantes, it calls for complete
overhaul of a failed national security architecture; and the emergence of multi-layer security keeping,
involving federal, State, local government and communities. As it stands, the Police are overwhelmed
with internal security keeping, Army was drafted, they're struggling. Is there any more doubts as to why
oil theft is booming by a combination of criminal ommission and commission?

Again, a careful study of FG's statement showed that it merely reiterated its failure to help Katsina. It
never addressed the issue of insecurity in that State; and neither did it offer cogent reasons why a
Governor and Chief Security Officer of a State should sit and watch; hands and feet tied with
unnecessary bureaucracy, while his people are slaughtered like chickens by terrorists. Also, it is hard to
comprehend, how training and equipment with Pump Action Guns will square up to battles with AK-47
wielding Bandits.

Let's not forget, when Gun Control Laws were made, what was the security situation like? Were people
killed left, right and center? Was there kidnapping and mass abductions? Were communities sacked,
livestock rustled, farmers displaced and stopped from going to their farms? Did we have IDP camps and
unsecured highways? Clearly, conditions were different. Our present situation requires a different
approach. In America, accessibility to all manner of guns is a national problem; in Nigeria, lack of guns
amidst horrible insecurity is a problem too. Though it must be stated that government's thoughtless
strategy of disarming few gun owners at a time of rising insecurity across the country is not only
questionable but dubious. Nevertheless, what is the way out?
The way out is to address the problem squarely and objectively; and to disabuse some interrogated
claims that guns in the hands of States and Vigilantes will lead to uncontrolled arms usage and
breakdown of law and order. Now, there are no guns in the hands of civilians, yet security has broken
down. Criminal elements are emboldened by the fact that they are the ones having the weapon of
choice, AK-47. Nigerian Soldiers, Police and Civil Defence Corps, though highly trained, do not have
weapons that could help them match what bandits and other criminal elements are holding. Local
Vigilantes like Amotekun are worse off. It's official suicide giving a young man Pump Action Rifle to
confront battle hardened terrorists brandishing state-of-the-art AK-47 and RPGs. This is why reports are
rife with incidents of soldiers and police men who took to their heels on sighting heavily armed
terrorists.

With a reprehensible combination of sell-out, duplicity, poor arms and avoidable ambush, over 70
Volunteer Vigilantes, helping to secure their communities were massacred in Zuru, KEBBI State. Soldiers
who went on revenge attack to clear the Zuru area of rampaging Bandits were equally attacked and
killed. The State Deputy Governor escaped by the whiskers. Military wives openly protested the
avoidable death of their husbands in 223 Light Tank Battalion Barracks, Zuru. Before that, security
forces guarding Government Girls Secondary School, Birnin Yauri were brave just like the Zuru
Vigilantes. Anxious to protect School Children and Teaching Staff, they confronted the Bandits who came
to abduct the school children with what they had. That was grossly inadequate and the outcome deadly.
They were out-gunned and killed. Was that what they signed for; to expose themselves to avoidable
danger and death? No. Signing to serve in the Army, Police and other outfits comes with basic packages:
patriotism and courage on the part of the personnel; adequate training, equipment and good welfare in
and out of service, on government's part.

Clearly, the situation on ground suggests that State Governors are practically powerless with Police
Commissioners listening to Abuja before responding to distress calls from host Governors. The
helplessness of Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi when Nimbo was under attack remains fresh
and deeply traumatizing. Also contemporary security condition has proved Federal Government's
central command and control structures have failed to deliver the expected results. Yes, there are deep
political and economic distortions; ethnic and religious divisions are worrisome, yet it is not the Nigerian
Army and Police that is holding the country together. Save for insurgency and banditry, Nigerians
wouldn't have known what their Army had become. With all the agitations from NADECO and
disaffection across Nigeria, General Sani Abacha dropped dead, Nigeria remained peaceful and united till
a new leader, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar emerged. Even with the crisis generated by President Umar
Yar'adua health and death, Nigerians remained united till a solution, the Doctrine of Necessity was
arrived at and successfully implemented.
Let no one frighten us that Nigeria will have problem if State Governments are empowered to operate
State/Regional Police and Community Vigilantes. When laws are made for specific purposes, the same
law will also create safeguards to forestall abuses. During elections, deployment of State Police could be
minimal to enable Federal Police to take charge. State Police Personnel can be swerved across the
country to promote impartiality.

The National Assembly should review existing gun control laws, devolve and empower State
Government to establish, train, equipp and operate State Police and Community Vigilantes. FG could
help out with training and infrastructure to maintain standards, common operational techniques,
information sharing and national coordination when and where necessary.

This Devolution/Empowerment will run on the principles of controlled regional borders and deterrence;
making it difficult for insecurity to spill across regional boundaries. Seamless but weak security
architecture aids terrorists operations; but segmented security network weakens them because it makes
planning and execution more difficult.

The Policy of Deterrence has also kept the world safe from nuclear threats for a long time, save for the
current Russia- Ukraine war; and the unpredictable behavior of Putin and the North Korean leader, Mr
Kim. If a criminal holding AK-47 knows that the person he is targeting to rob or attack has a similar
weapon, he would think twice. Save for suicide bombers, most criminals hardly discount the idea of
enjoying their loot. That is a form of deterrence. Over all, Nigeria is ripe for multi-level security keeping
As federal economic crisis keep burgeoning, so would federal influences and capacities continue to
wane.