Senator Ned Nwoko is pushing for a bill that will enable Nigerians to arm themselves in face of the escalating cases of kidnapping and other crimes in the country.
Nwoko argued during an interview on Arise TV that despite the huge amount of money that has been voted and spent on safeguarding the country, the police and the army are incapable of curbing crimes committed by bandits and terrorists.
“My bill is predicated on the lawlessness that is currently pervading the nation,” said the Senator representing Delta North.
We all have experienced it or we know someone that has experienced it. We have come to a point in this nation where we have to make an honest admission to ourselves which is that the security agents cannot really protect lives and properties as stated in the constitution. The common man is left to his fate. He does not get any kind of support from the police and the police force is unequipped, ill-funded, not capable of discharging those onerous duties and that is the fact.
“I am in the senate committee on police matters and I can tell you that we do not have the number of police men that we need to secure Nigeria as a country. The military on the other hand, have been spending billions of Naira over the years, buying warplanes, different arms and ammunition in the name of fighting terrorism and other crimes. But they are also not able to deal with the issues and a lot of money has been spent and lives lost, and we are nowhere in finding solutions.
“The idea of a bill to enable Nigerians to carry arms to defend themselves is born out of desperation, the fact that people do not have the kind of protection that they need. In Nigeria, what stops us from having an emergency number and this is one of those things that we just need to address. How do you help the ordinary Nigerians to reach out to the security forces or emergency services in the event of trouble?”
