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  • Driving in Nigeria has been an extreme sport for years, but it’s about to get even crazier because your favourite lawmakers are proposing another controversial bill that’s making Nigerians question why they are not legally permitted to own guns. 

    The Road Safety Special Armed Squad bill, which proposes that officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC) be equipped with guns to carry out their duties, has passed its second reading. I’m also going to hold your hands gently while I tell you that it’s most likely going to become an actual law soon because no lawmaker in the House of Assembly is against the idea. A lawmaker, Abbas Tajudeen, even went as far as calling it a “straightforward bill” and then sent it to the committee on FRSC for more review and action.

    If you’re thinking “Maybe FRSC will say they don’t want guns,” think again because FRSC itself has been shouting that it needs guns to perform its “road safety” duties for years. This is the perfect early Christmas gift for the officers. 

    What are FRSC’s duties and why does it need guns?

    FRSC makes sure Nigerian drivers follow traffic rules like obeying speed limits and wearing seat belts. They give out and renew driver’s licenses, check vehicles to make sure they’re safe to drive and they manage traffic. It also teams up with other agencies, like the Nigerian Police Force, to improve road safety and provide emergency services in cases of accidents. In simple English, they do whatever they need to keep crazy drivers in check and provide road safety. 

    FRSC didn’t need guns when it was established in 1988, many Nigerians are saying it still doesn’t need guns in 2024.

    Driving isn’t a crime in Nigeria and enforcing road safety doesn’t require any type of force under normal circumstances. But things could change (not for good) if this bill is passed. 

    Why is this bill especially bad for Nigerian youths?

    There have been reports of FRSC officers physically assaulting drivers, demanding bribes from them, and getting away with it when they didn’t have guns. This could become worse if this bill is passed. Also, considering Nigerians’ traumatic history with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers who were known for profiling young Nigerians, assaulting them, and abusing their human rights, this bill could be a potential disaster waiting to happen

    Young Nigerians who are already at risk of being profiled and assaulted by Nigerian law enforcement agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the Nigerian police would be forced to add FRSC to the list of security forces to be afraid of. If things get out of hand, even Nigerian citizens might start considering carrying guns to protect themselves. 

    Since Thursday, October 10, when news of the bill made it online, Nigerians on social media platforms have kicked against it with hopes that it does not pass the remaining six stages to become a law. While it might be a long shot, speaking out against harmful bills like this has worked out in places like Kenya where a tax hike bill was withdrawn after youths kicked against it. Maybe Nigerians can hope for the same?

  • Between 2020 to 2024, several bills and pleas have reached the Nigerian Senate regarding the use of firearms. The most recent bill came from Senator Ned Nwoko in January 2024.  His bill called for the introduction of a law allowing civilians in Nigeria to own and carry firearms for self-defence stating insecurity as a major reason. 

    The requirements necessary for owning these firearms as proposed by Senator Nwoko included references from medical doctors, endorsement from local government officials, certification from traditional leaders, and confirmation by the Divisional Police Officer to verify the absence of criminal involvement among others. While this bill has passed its first reading and garnered strong support from other prominent figures, recent events paint this bill as a bad idea. 

    On Saturday, March 30 2024, the bodies of three dead and four injured children were recovered after a gunpowder explosion in Taraba state. The  Commissioner of Police, Taraba State Command, CP David Iloyanomon confirmed the incident happened in Didango Geita, a community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State. 

    What’s the full story?

    The seven victims had reportedly gone to help on a rice farm belonging to the grandfather of one of the deceased. Things took a different turn when an explosion was heard at the site. The eyewitness who reported the event,  Mallam Audu Danjuma, said the villagers broke into a panic thinking it was an IED explosion and contacted the police.

     However, CP David Iloyonomon refuted this claim stating it was a gunpowder explosion from a Dane gun triggered by the children. According to him, the anti-bomb unit has carried out a thorough investigation and confirmed this. The Police commissioner further explained that a bombing or dynamite explosion would have blasted the children’s bodies beyond recognition, leaving no survivors. The positioning of the children’s bodies and pellets of gunpowder found at the scene also supports the police’s findings. This paints a clear picture of what happened and takes away the possibility of an IED explosion or an assailant.

    The deceased children, all below the age of 12, were identified as Miracle Danjuma, Liyacheyan Bitrus, and Kefas Bitrus. The injured children, Joseph Danjuma, Leah Aluda, Godbless Hassan, and Christian Hassan, are receiving treatment at the state’s specialist hospital in Jalingo, the state capital.

    This brings to question whether firearms are a solution to Nigeria’s insecurity problems or the beginning of many possible problems with accidents like this being one of them. Can the Senate trust Nigerians to only use guns for self-defence and to keep them far away from children or should we potentially expect more cases like this?