Banditry, killings: ADF backs Reps on arms for self-defense of citizens

A socio-cultural group, the Alaigbo Development Foundation, on Monday, backed the Federal House of Representatives, on law to empower citizens to carry arms for self-defense.

The group, which said the move would reduce rising cases of banditry and killings in the country, claimed the security agencies had failed in their duty to protect lives and property of the citizenry.

According to ADF, if such measures are not adopted, the Nigeria would gradually slide into lawlessness and a monumental collapse, which might snowball into the unplanned disintegration of the country.

ADF’s spokesperson, Mr Abia Onyike, stated this on Monday, in a statement, stressing that Nigeria needs true federalism to survive, as against the current monolithic ‘Unitarian’ style of government, which according to it, had kept the country stagnant.

The statement read, “The Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) after a thorough assessment of the current security situation in Nigeria and the concomitant mass killings taking place nation-wide by terrorists, bandits, Fulani herdsmen and other armed groups, do hereby state as follows;

“That ADF supports the moves by members of the House of Representatives to make laws empowering Nigerian citizens to carry arms, for their self defense.

“ADF believes that such a measure will go a long way in curtailing the excesses of the armed maruders and warlords, as the Nation’s security agencies have failed woefully to checkmate the mass killings going on in several parts of the country.

“ADF is convinced that if such drastic measures are not adopted, the Nigerian state would gradually slide into anarchy and a monumental collapse, which may snowball into the unplanned disintegration of Nigeria.

“ADF is convinced that such a situation would precipitate a dangerous conflagration in the West African sub-region with attendant horrible human conditions and scenerios such as an unimaginable refugee crisis which would be an eye-sore to the world community.

“ADF, however, believes that Nigeria’s salvation lies in the return to genuine federalism as opposed to the current monolithic unitarism which has stiffled economic prosperity and human liberties.

“We need to be governed as a true Federal Republic with Autonomous Regions and Fiscal Federalism.
Failure to accommodate true federalism through political reforms may compel the federating units to assert their rights to self- determination.”