A call for a major shift in Nigeria’s security strategy emerged on Thursday as Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East, pressed the National Assembly to consider legislation that would allow responsible citizens to carry firearms amid escalating insecurity across the country.
In a video recorded during plenary and obtained in Osogbo, the All Progressives Congress lawmaker argued that Nigeria could draw from the example of about 120 countries where private gun ownership is legal, insisting that such a measure could help curb violent crime.
Fadahunsi maintained that the nation was “almost at the point of military rule” due to worsening insecurity and stressed that empowering citizens to defend themselves could deter criminal groups. “If the elite and a few of us who are okay are carrying guns, it will be war against these criminals, and they will run away because they are not many,” he remarked.
He further urged the legislature to enact strict penalties for kidnapping, including capital punishment for both kidnappers and those who negotiate on their behalf. The senator also criticised the country’s defence leadership, questioning the military credentials of key officials and describing the existing command structure as inadequate for the scale of the crisis.
According to him, the composition of the Ministry of Defence and the office of the National Security Adviser has contributed to friction with the armed forces. He argued that service personnel often dismiss civilian authorities, complicating efforts to impose discipline and reform. “The Commander in Chief needs to look at the military architecture around him and do the needful,” he said.
Fadahunsi’s comments came as President Bola Tinubu reiterated his call for an end to open grazing and urged herders to surrender illegal weapons as part of a broader strategy to address the farmer–herder conflict. The Presidency noted in a statement that the government is pursuing lasting reforms to reduce the violence that has ravaged northern and central states.
The appeal for tighter security measures follows a fresh wave of mass abductions in Niger, Kebbi, and other regions, as well as continuing clashes between farming communities and herders in the North Central zone.
Tinubu underscored that transitioning to ranching remains essential for stability and sustainable livestock management, describing it as the country’s new direction for easing long-standing tensions.
