A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has disagreed with the claim by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Taoreed Lagbaja’s stance on citizens bearing arms acrosd the country.
He criticised the Chief of Army Staff’s statement where he sounded his disapproval for citizens to bear arms, following coordinated attacks by gunmen on Plateau State during the Yuletide.
The Chief of Staff said “I do not support that. I think that is a call for anarchy,” on Sunday on Channels Television’s end-of-year programme ‘2023: Year of Transition.
While featuring on Sunrise Breakfast show, Falana said “in the first place, it is not correct to say Nigerians have no right to bear arms. Apart from the fact that the penal code applicable in the North and the criminal code applicable in the South recognise the right to self-defence, we have to discuss the rights and proceed to examine the propriety.
“In other words, if someone aims a gun at me, and I can quickly grab another gun, I have the right to shoot.”
Falana continued that Nigerians need to obtain a gun licence before they can be allowed to bear arms in anyway.
“But you are required to apply for the licence first.
“I am just saying the right to self -defence which is also guaranteed by the constitution. All I am not allowed to do is not use a force that is not proportional to the threat.
“In other words, If you are going to hit me with a cane, I must not go for a gun which is not proportional.”
