Dr. Micheal Nwoko, the SSA on Health Monitoring to the Executive Governor of Delta State and the Chief of Staff of Senator Ned Munir Nwoko of Delta North, in an interview with Silverbird Television, discussed the proposed bill of Senator Nwoko, to amend the Firearms Act in Nigeria. He argued for the legalization of firearms ownership for qualified individuals due to the country’s security challenges. The bill outlines strict criteria for gun ownership, including age, employment, training, endorsements from traditional rulers and local officials, medical evaluations, and background checks. He further addressed concerns about potential abuse of the system, emphasizing the bill’s aim to regulate firearm use and control illegal proliferation. He also stressed the importance of political leaders adhering to the same regulations.
The interview in full:
QUE: Before we delve straight into the bill, do you think Nigerians should be allowed to bear firearms?
Thank you so much for that question, but I think with the current security situation in the country today; we have reached a threshold, whereby we need to legalize firearms for qualified individuals to own one. And this has been a matter of concern, and a front burner for daily discourse; because of cases of breakdown of law and order in some part of the country. We have seen situations whereby, even some farmers can’t no longer access their farmland; they can no longer cultivate their farmland, and this has undermined the economy; because they cannot guarantee farm produce. That can take care of their consumption, and equally contribute to the servicing of the economy. So, it is a serious concern; kidnapping here and there; and the other day, we heard about the incessant kidnapping in some parts of Abuja and other parts of the country, it is like now everyone is a potential target in Nigeria. Somebody knocks at your door, opens the door, and the next thing is that they kidnap you and ask for ransom or they just rob you unabated. You see, things cannot continue like this. We can’t fold our arms to allow the security issue in this country to further deteriorate. This credence led to a bill that was recently proposed by the distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko, representing the good people of Delta North Senatorial district, in the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This has to do with the amendment of the Firearms Act CAP F28, Law of Nigeria, 2004, to provide for self-defense and ownership of Firearms and other related matters. This bill came to the first reading in the Senate; on the 20th of February, and we are preparing for the second reading and the public hearing etcetera. Now, particular emphasis needs to be on section 41 and section 6 of this particular Act. Looking at a situation whereby certain criteria must be spelled out for an individual to own a gun in the country. The fact that we are looking to legalize people to own a gun; does not mean that everybody can just walk up to the police station or wherever or gun vendor to obtain a gun. There must be criteria that will be strictly adhered to; and what truly are the criteria? Now, in this amendment bill, the individual must be at least thirty years of age and must be fully employed. After that, the individual must also be subjected to a shooting school, and in such a school, you must have a database; and of course, an expert. The school must be formed by retired military personnel that is knowledgeable in firearms. Then, the individual will proceed to obtain an endorsement from a traditional ruler because those traditional rulers know the people in different communities. The essence of obtaining this endorsement from the traditional rulers is to be sure that the individual truly is worthy in character; and after that, the individual will proceed to the local government chairman who will also endorse him, confirming that he is known really in the area and he has a reputation. Afterwards, the individual is to proceed to the state commissioner of police and the state director of DSS, who will confirm the individual has no previous criminal record etcetera. Now, the individual needs to be satisfied with two medical doctors to confirm the mental fitness to carry the firearms. Once this is done, the individual needs to return to the shooting school with the report, and he is expected to get a response to approve or deny the firearms, giving the verification of reports from the aforementioned individuals and agencies. The whole idea is that these people are to verify that the individual has turned in the report; from the medical doctor, traditional ruler, police, DSS, and local government chairman; and for two months the individual is expected to be communicated, whether to be approved or firearms. You can see, with this bill, given these criteria, you can clearly, spelt out in the bill. And if this bill scales through in the Senate and passes into law; you will agree with me that it will change the security architecture in the country because it will provide some level of resistance to the arm-bandit, kidnap and armed robbers etcetera. When armed bandits and armed robbers, knock at your door and realize that there are indications that you possess firearms, there should be a level of resistance, by giving the armed robbers a warning that you also have a gun for self-defense.
QUE: The stand of Sen Nwoko is that Nigerians deserve to bear firearms because of the prevailing security situation in the country; that is what you also believe in, and some of the people agreed that the situation is so concerning. And you also mentioned some steps one has to take before issuing a license for a gun. Well, that is not where I am going exactly, some people think, that if we take a look at some other country of the world, where obtaining a gun is as good as you are of age and you are a citizen and walk in a place and buy a gun; such law does persist there, and you can see the level of issues arising from such situation; easily America, the death control bill is what many lawmakers are trying to push for. I remember that during Barack Obama’s administration, there was a lot of push for it. Since bills in the USA have brought some goods in the past, it was becoming a serious challenge in society. If you take a look around us, even though we have security challenges, some will argue that this bill if it should pass, is not what we are going through.
I agree with you to an extent. If you provide a new way of implementing policy, there could be implications of abuse. That is why if you look at the proposed amendment bill to the Firearms Act, Law of the Federation, Nigeria 2004, you will come to a resistible or beguiling conclusion that all those criteria that were spelled out, are going to bring regulation and control of the use of firearms. If you recall, the Senator mentioned that apart from the fact that an individual must be thirty and gainfully employed; an individual is subjected to a shooting school, where there is a database and forensic expert. Why would there be a database and forensic expert in the shooting school, it is to have an analysis of every crime and you equally giving bullet for instance, if it is reported that there is data established for that gun you are licensed to own. Of course, even the bullet has to be registered for a crime committed anywhere, and if the forensic expert hits the bullet, for instance, they know who eventually committed the crime. Do you understand the point I am making? So, if this bill scales through and gives the criteria that are spelled out before the individual is licensed to own a gun. You will agree with me that there will be control over the use of firearms, and such crimes will be mitigated. The idea is that before the individual is licensed to own firearms, it means that the individual has been qualified to own a gun.
QUES: Many will argue that in Nigeria, we don’t have a report when it comes to the issue, that happens with crime and criminality in the country. We don’t have a standard database. Most times, we have people who have been convicted of criminal cases, and some others who have been involved in criminal activities might not be listed; one will agree that what you back on is the police, and when they put the person’s data and all the information will come out, but what about those that have not been apprehended and still want to come under the pretext of saying they are lawful citizens of the country, and obtain very such dangerous weapon, and return to the society to cause harms. Is the bill considering the possibility of that also?
Yes, it is. You will recall that I mentioned earlier that we are not unaware of the fact that there is a proliferation of gun businesses around the country. The control of that is to preserve some security agents, but the essence of establishing a database for instance in this shooting school is to be able to have a database of those who are being licensed to own these firearms and to ensure that bullets given to them are properly registered and stored in a data because if the crime is committed, it can be traced. That bill if it scaled through, will also help to control the illegal proliferation of firearms in the country. It will give people the opportunity to now come into the system to say yes, let go through the formal process of obtaining firearms, and if that comes before, you will now subject yourself to the database etcetera. I do agree with you, for us to fight crime in this country, we need to embark on reforms like this for instance.
With the Nigeria setup, how are you sure the local government chairman will not sign for the people of his party?
You will recall that obtaining an endorsement for the local government chairman is not the only criterion listed. If the local government chairman is favorably disposed to the members of his political party; what about the endorsement you need to get from your traditional ruler, what about the endorsement you need to get from the state commissioner of police? What about the endorsement from the state director of DSS? What about the medical certification report you need to get from two medical doctors who must have known you for some time? You realize that the individual is not going to adhere to only one of the criteria listed; but the entire criteria, clearly spelled out in the amendment bill of the Firearms Act F28 Laws of Federation of Nigeria, to provide for self-defense and self-ownership of firearms and other related matters.
Contributions
I don’t think firearms are going to work in this country. In every American home, it has done more harm than good. In Nigeria as we speak, there are illegal arms that people use to commit a lot of crimes in the country; and my point of view, I don’t think it can help the country at all.
I have read the criteria for the license to own a gun, but my question will make the senators and House of rep members go through the criteria to own a gun, will you make our politicians of hierarch, go through the same processes to own a gun in this country; because we know how politicians cut corners to get what they want.
The first caller spoke about the proliferation of firearms. That is one challenge in this country that this amendment bill seeks to address. Is it not better you have all those who intend to own firearms to now surrender themselves to a former system, where they can be captured in the database of gun owners in the country, wherein their guns can be registered in the database, and of course, their bullets registered and put in the database so that if any crime is committed, and it can be effectively traced. So, that we don’t have a situation where people can just bring guns into the country and commit heinous crimes without trace etcetera. Now, this bill seeks to address that. In other to ensure that this bill, of course, by the time it becomes an Act is effectively implemented, it going to also address the major challenge because one thing is for us to be able to have a national rebirth and for us to change the way we do things, and effectively strengthen our nation, and change the security architecture in this country; because for there to be an economy growth of any nation, there must first be a security of life and properties, which is the primary objective of government; and once that is ensured, you can guarantee the viability of the economy and strengthen in other sector of the economy etcetera. That is the only way we can have an agricultural revolution, where the farmers can now go into the farmland to cultivate and contribute to the economy with government support etcetera. But now, people can’t even go to their farmlands because of the security situation. Farmers are being raped because of invasions by armed bandits. This bill intends to address a lot of security challenges in the country. Now, looking at the second question, he asked a fundamental question, which talked about the lawmakers should also subject themselves to the law if this bill scales through; you see, leadership is by example, you cannot be proposing a bill for a very critical reform in the country, when you don’t subject yourself to such reforms, and that is why I said leadership is by example. For you to be able to compel the citizens or adhere to a particular policy reform in this country, leadership must first adhere to it. So, on that note, by the time this bill scales through, it becomes expedient for the lawmakers themselves; Senator and House of Rep members and government order and the political class will also effectively adhere to it; and will equally encourage citizens of this country to also adhere. Everyone must be a law-abiding citizen. You see, for us to grow our nation, I believe we have reached a threshold, you can see from the hardship and others, and we all know that the government is trying to think of a solution that will take this country to a state of Eldorado. Everyone must blaze the trail. The political class, the leadership class; and all citizens of this country must blaze the trail and embrace reforms that can bring this to the limelight.
Are you related to the Senator?
Yes. He is my first cousin.
