Tinubu, Let Us Protect Ourselves with Rifles

It is clear that Tinubu cannot protect us, and he shows no anger or regret. He needs to let people defend themselves. He took police away from politicians, yet Minister Wike still drives around in a Rolls Royce with many policemen. Since Tinubu is a weak commander-in-chief, he should let the people handle their own security. It might have been a good law to stop citizens from owning rifles all those years. But things have changed a lot. A desperate situation needs desperate actions. The government hires mercenaries to fight bandits. It also lets communities pay bandits for peace, while the bandits, it seems, are allowed to keep rifles. The state is weak. The law can no longer tie the hands of the law-abiding citizens it was meant to protect. The original aim of the law was to stop the spread of military-grade weapons. But now those horses have bolted.

Nothing shows our total hopelessness better than the story of Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. Last year, his nephew and three friends were attacked at night. The bandits came to kidnap them. One tried to escape and was shot dead. The bandits are extremely ruthless. His nephew and the two others ended up as captives in the bush. The bandits knew Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who worked as a special adviser to President Tinubu, and was seconded to VP Shettima. Dr Baba-Ahmed pleaded for help from everyone in the Presidency. The whole Presidency got involved. Promises were made to the Baba-Ahmed family. Days and weeks passed. The bandits, who had asked for a huge ransom, began to lose patience. The government took its time. The family realized they could not depend on the government anymore, so they raised the ransom: ₦175 million, new motorcycles, and hard drugs.

The captives spent 36 days in the forest. The ransom was delivered in three parts. At one point, the people delivering the ransom got lost in the bush and met soldiers who showed them the way to the bandits’ camp. The government knew where the bandits were, yet they did nothing to stop the murder, kidnapping, and ransom. Tinubu, the commander-in-chief, could not help his own special adviser. Shettima, who had promised to go into the forest, did not take the chance to show his bravery. If the four men had rifles, the bandits might not have approached them at all.

Tinubu probably believes that state policing will fix the problem. But the state police plan, as it stands now, might not be better than the many ill-trained civilian JTFs that are already out there. It may provide some needed boots on the ground, but the idea of state police without reforming the federal police first could be a disaster. The right approach would have been to reform, reorient, and equip the federal police first. Then, with the federal police setting ethical standards and showing professionalism, the state police units would have a good model to follow. The current federal police have no culture to pass on to the state police. If the state police are funded, trained, and equipped as poorly as the federal police, they will not be able to fight petty crime, let alone banditry.

Instead of sticking to false hopes and paranoid thoughts, Tinubu should adopt a three-part plan. Every new action has risks. Allowing responsible citizens to own rifles could lead to some abuses or even mass shootings by mad individuals. Hiring better foreign help has its challenges too. But without it, Mali would have long been taken over. Refusing ransoms might lead to some immediate revenge killings. But in the long run, it will discourage the practice. The current situation is already unbearable.

First, on the political side, set politics aside and seek real national unity. Travel to the affected areas. Talk to the people. Listen to their problems. Calm tensions. Instead of letting communities make shameful “peace” deals with bandits while the federal government ignores them, show real leadership. Lead the negotiations yourself when necessary. At the same time, change the law to allow responsible citizens and communities to own rifles for self-defense. People who feel the state is weak and indifferent will not support a government that only offers helplessness.

Second, on the military and security front, upgrade the armed forces with modern technology. In the North-West, where the forests are not thick, drones should be the main tool for watching, tracking, and taking out bandit camps. While the military upgrades, reconsider the quality of the mercenaries and special operators you hire. You can keep Asari Dokubo and Sunday Igboho. But we need professionals who can rescue hostages, track accurately, and eliminate known camps. Right now, our troops are too exposed on the battlefronts. The president likes to talk about church rats and poisoned holy communion. Every bandit who collects ransom must face the fate of a rat that has eaten poisoned communion.

Lastly, cut off the criminal economy. Once citizens can legally defend themselves and the state improves its rescue and tracking abilities, outlaw ransom payments, starting with government officials and agencies. The continuous flow of money from private and public sources into bandit hands keeps the kidnapping business alive. This will be painful. Some victims may die if ransoms are denied. But the other option, a never-ending ransom economy that supports insurgency and terror, is already ruining the country and will take far more lives in the future.

Every new measure carries risks. A carefully regulated opening up of rifle ownership for responsible citizens could lead to some abuses or mass shootings by mad individuals. Hiring better foreign help has its own issues. But without them, Mali would have long been overrun. Refusing ransoms may spark initial revenge killings. But in the long run, it will discourage the practice. The current situation is simply unbearable. The horses have bolted. Criminals already have military weapons. The law that was meant to protect honest people now only ties their hands while letting the wicked run free.

Mr President, the time for half-hearted measures and recycled excuses is over. Vet responsible citizens and communities. Let them buy and own rifles for their protection. That is where real change must begin.