Zamfara Residents: To Bear or Not to Bear Firearms?

Gun violence has become a terrible source of security threat across the world. However, nations respond to the threat posed by firearms abuse differently. For example, following the massacre in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed, the United States government advocates for stricter gun regulation. In contrast, on account of widespread violent insecurity, the Zamfara State Government, on June 26, 2022, announced its plan to allow residents to bear firearms for self-defence against rampaging bandits.

The Zamfara State Commissioner for Information said that the state government had concluded arrangements to distribute 500 forms to eligible persons in each of the 19 emirates in the state to apply for firearms for self-defence. In addition, the state government established a secretariat in each emirate to collect intelligence about bandits and immediately recruited 200 Community Protection Guards in each of the 19 emirates. To give legal backing to these measures, the state House of Assembly passed an executive bill on June 28, 2022, to prohibit banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, cultism, terrorism and other crimes in the state. However, while many people have applauded the call for Zamfara residents to bear firearms as long overdue, several others, including top military officers such as the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, are opposed to the proposal. In May 2019, President Buhari had, through an executive order, placed an embargo on the issuance of firearms licence in the country.

Thus, this edition of Nextier SPD Policy Weekly examines the firearms possession debate, pointing out the way out of the imbroglio.

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