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Nigeria Not Ready for Private Citizens to Bear Arms, Says ALPSAN Interim Chair Njoku
ALPSAN interim chairman Major-General Elias Njoku (retd) says Nigeria is not ready for private citizens to bear arms, citing rising insecurity and the dangers of small-arms proliferation. He explains why licensed private guards still cannot carry weapons and outlines future plans for strengthened regulation and training.
Major-General Elias Njoku (retd), Interim Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSAN), says Nigeria is not yet prepared to permit private citizens to carry firearms, despite growing security challenges across the country.
Speaking in Abuja yesterday, Njoku warned that calls for widespread gun licensing ignore the long-term consequences, stressing that Nigeria is still grappling with the dangers posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons linked to ongoing insecurity.
“Those calling for licensing of arms for private individuals and citizens to bear arms are speaking due to the spur of the moment,” he said. “They don’t know the long-term implications. We have not gotten to that stage yet.”
Njoku noted that even licensed private security operators are barred from carrying arms due to existing regulatory processes and the country’s complex security landscape.
He explained that nations where private guards are armed — including South Africa, Dubai, Gambia, and Kenya — do not face Nigeria’s level of asymmetric threats, which makes identifying and confronting attackers far easier.
“First, we must strengthen integration with the NSCDC and raise training to the required standard,” he said. While acknowledging that a future policy shift may be possible, he stressed it must be gradual and well regulated.
Njoku revealed that ALPSAN has studied security frameworks in Kenya, Gambia, and South Africa, but Nigeria’s unique challenges require any changes to occur strictly in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Ministry of Interior.
He added that a joint committee is already reviewing the issue and may recommend a pilot scheme in the future.
“For now, no private guard is allowed to bear arms,” he emphasized, “but in the coming days, you will see a new wave in the private security architecture of Nigeria.”
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