Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said Nigerians are constitutionally entitled to defend themselves against attackers, including in situations involving deadly threats, while assuring citizens that the government is making efforts to tackle insecurity nationwide.
Bwala stated this during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday while reacting to recent violent incidents, including the killings in Esiele community in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the abduction of teachers and pupils at LA Primary School.
He maintained that the Nigerian Constitution recognises the right of citizens to protect themselves.
“The constitution has guaranteed to every citizen of Nigeria the right to self-defence; you have the right to defend yourself,” he said.
“When your right, my right, and that of my neighbour is put together, it becomes collective rights to defend ourselves and Nigerians have the right to defend themselves.
“If you come to my house to try to kill me, any lethal weapon I use to defend myself is guaranteed by the Constitution,” he added.
Bwala, however, warned that ownership of firearms is still regulated by law.
“Nigerians don’t have the right to bear certain arms unless those arms are permitted but the collective people can come together to apply to the government for the right to coordinate themselves,” he said.
Speaking on the government’s response to insecurity, Bwala noted that crime is a global issue but stressed that cooperation among citizens and authorities remains key to ending it.
“Solution is what we all look to; evil men operate anywhere in the world, no matter how tight you are as a government.
“You do your best and expect that with the help of God and collective participation of the people through collective intelligence, we will be able to put an end to it,” he stressed.
Addressing public frustration over repeated attacks, he acknowledged that Nigerians would naturally continue to express grief and anger whenever lives are lost.
“I know the Nigerian people will continue to complain. For example, no matter how we say that we are sorry and the incident happens again, people will complain, cry and mourn because it’s the lives of the Nigerian people that are taken away by the evil element. We will put an end to this as a people,” he said.
Bwala also associated the increase in insecurity with election periods and socio-political tensions.
“Every eve of elections in Nigeria from 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026, you will see that crisis increases because of the idea of a crisis economy. A lot of people take advantage of that but the will and spirit of the collective people is what will put an end to this situation,” he said.
He further highlighted the contributions of local vigilante groups and community-based security collaboration, citing examples from Borno State.
“As a people, we have vigilantes, and in Borno State, we have paramilitary organisations that provide intelligence to law enforcement,” he said.
