The Oodua Progressive Care Initiative (OPCI) has called on the Federal Government to revisit Nigeria’s firearm laws and allow responsible citizens to own guns as a way of addressing worsening insecurity across the country.

Speaking in Ilorin on Tuesday, OPCI President, Dr. Maruff Olarewaju, said the persistent rise in banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery has shown that current security strategies are inadequate, stressing the need for a radical shift in approach.

“We need a new thinking in tackling insecurity. Legalising firearm ownership for every responsible citizen is the way out,” Olarewaju declared. “By granting citizens the right to bear arms, we can create a deterrent effect against aggressors and strengthen community security.”

He noted that several states including Plateau, Kwara, Niger, and Borno have suffered devastating attacks that forced many residents to abandon their homes, insisting that empowering citizens with firearms would help them defend themselves against armed threats.

“Communities are bleeding because of insecurity. Arming law-abiding citizens will not only enhance self-defence but also reduce the high rate of kidnappings and banditry ravaging our nation,” he said.

Olarewaju further argued that despite billions allocated to security agencies, crime levels remain alarming, while illegal weapons continue to spread across the country unchecked.

“The constitutional ban on firearms has not stopped proliferation of illicit arms. It is time to ask whether the law is truly effective or simply leaving innocent Nigerians defenceless,” he added.

The OPCI leader urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other stakeholders to convene a national dialogue on security reforms, stressing that citizen participation is crucial if Nigeria is to overcome its present challenges.