Abuja, Nigeria — November 4, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
The civil society organisation Concerned Nigerians Group has called on the Nigerian federal government to overhaul the country’s firearms legislation and enable greater gun ownership for self-defence, while rejecting the idea of foreign military intervention in Nigeria’s internal security crisis. The call is made in the context of escalating attacks by insurgents, bandits and communal militias, which rights groups say disproportionately affect Christian, animist and other non-Muslim communities.
In a press statement signed by the group’s convener, Raphael Adebayo, the organisation said: “Nigeria is losing more lives daily to the satanic advance of ethno-religious terrorists and expansionists, while the value of human life continues to diminish in the face of unending violence.
The statement emphasised that the government’s failure to suppress insurgent and bandit activity amounts to a collapse of the country’s sovereign duty to protect citizens, and described the office of the President as now bearing the title of Commander-in-Chief “un-ceremoniously” amid rising insecurity.
The group specifically urged the National Assembly to pass the Bill for an Act to Alter the Firearms Act (As Altered) to Provide for Self-Defence and Personal Firearm Ownership and for Related Matters — a bill sponsored by Ned Nwoko of Delta North. According to the statement: “The liberalization of gun rights in Nigeria will empower vulnerable communities and individuals to defend themselves against terrorists and petty criminals.” saharareporters.com
The group argues that many rural and faith-minority communities, especially in the Middle Belt and North West, remain exposed to attacks due to minimal security presence, and must be allowed legal access to defensive arms to survive in an environment where state protection is weak.
In tandem with the call for gun liberalisation, Concerned Nigerians Group firmly rejected any form of external military operation on Nigerian soil, including proposals reportedly being discussed by the United States. The statement warns that foreign intervention “under any guise … is not in the interest of ordinary Nigerians and the African continent.
An Adebayo quote:
“The overwhelming majority of communities that have repeatedly suffered these attacks are Christian, animist, and other non-Muslim communities. Nonetheless, external invasion … whether by the United States or any other Great Power, is not in the interest of ordinary Nigerians and the African continent.
The statement further calls for the establishment of a Joint Committee on Internal Security and Terrorist Enablers by both chambers of the National Assembly, tasked with identifying, probing and prosecuting financiers and supporters of terrorist activities in Nigeria. Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi is singled out in the statement for alleged public comments and alleged backing of militants: “Characters like Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and his associates must be interrogated and made to account for their abnormal public statements and energetic support of terrorists massacring innocent Nigerians in the name of their religion and ethnicity.
The proposal to liberalise gun ownership marks a significant departure from Nigeria’s long-standing firearms policy, which tightly restricts civilian access to firearms and places ultimate responsibility for armed protection on state security agencies. If enacted, the legislation would represent a shift toward community-level self-defence models, reminiscent of local vigilante systems already active in many parts of the country.
Security analysts caution, however, that loosening gun regulations in a country already battling proliferation, corruption and insurgent access to arms could carry unintended risks — including escalation of communal violence, misuse of weapons by non-state actors, and increased civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, the rejection of foreign military intervention reflects wider concerns over sovereignty, national ownership of security policy, and the historical sensitivity in Nigeria to external military presence — especially given past experiences of coups, foreign-backed operations and regional instability.
As Nigeria remains under intense international scrutiny for its handling of religious violence and human-rights conditions, the twin propositions of gun liberalisation and self-defence legal reform may shape future debates on how best to protect vulnerable citizens. The National Assembly will likely face increased pressure to respond — either by advancing the firearms bill or formulating alternative frameworks for community protection.
In the interim, government officials will need to engage with civil society, faith groups and security experts to evaluate whether community-based armament is a viable path, or whether it risks undermining state monopoly on legitimate force. For millions of Nigerians living in high-risk zones, the question remains: will this call lead to tangible change or become yet another policy discourse without reform?