Nigerians Demand Right To Bear Firearms
The escalating terror crisis in Nigeria’s Middle Belt took centre stage on Saturday, April 26, 2025, as 77 civil society organisations, community leaders, religious figures, victims’ groups and concerned citizens gathered online for a Citizens’ Dialogue convened by Middle Belt Concern (MBC).
At the conclusion of the dialogue, participants issued a forceful communiqué, warning that ongoing attacks, mass killings, and land seizures could spiral into full-scale genocide if immediate action is not taken.
Held under the theme “Defeating Terror in the Middle Belt,” the dialogue brought together voices from across the region who described a bleak and worsening situation. Participants noted that for more than two decades, Middle Belt communities have endured relentless attacks from well-armed terror groups, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands, widespread displacement, and the violent takeover of ancestral lands.
They said survivors are increasingly seen as expendable by political authorities who only recognise them during election cycles.
The communiqué condemned what it described as the lethargy and apathy of successive Nigerian presidents, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing them of failing to uphold their constitutional duties to protect citizens.
Citing sections of the 1999 Constitution that affirm the right to life, dignity, and security, the participants argued that the Nigerian state has betrayed the Middle Belt peoples by abandoning them to sustained terror campaigns.
They also faulted elites from the region for failing to forcefully challenge the misleading narrative that frames the crisis as mere farmer-herder clashes caused by climate change, asserting instead that what is taking place is systematic terror aimed at land conquest.
Further concerns were raised about the failure of security agencies and intelligence services to prevent attacks despite repeated warnings. Participants expressed alarm over what they described as poor intelligence sharing, reluctance to act proactively on credible threats, and an emerging pattern of official negligence that raises questions about possible complicity at high levels of government and security institutions.
They noted that despite overwhelming evidence of crimes, the leadership of Nigeria’s coercive institutions have failed to arrest or prosecute known figures and groups who have publicly defended or justified acts of terror.
In a significant move, the Citizens’ Dialogue resolved that Middle Belt communities could no longer afford to rely solely on a state apparatus that has consistently failed them. Instead, participants affirmed the right of citizens to defend themselves and their lands against further aggression. Describing this stance as both a God-given right and a constitutional obligation, they declared that the time had come for communities to “defend themselves and their lands and will do so given the persistent and continued failure of the state to uphold its sworn and constitutional duty to protect their lives and properties”.
The communiqué outlined several demands, calling on local, state, and federal authorities to immediately fulfil their duty to protect lives, prevent further massacres, and seek international assistance where necessary.
It demanded transparency in the use of security votes by elected officials, condemned the harassment of victims and human rights defenders — notably singling out threats against Bishop Wilfred Anagbe — and insisted that security agencies must be held accountable for failures to act.
It also urged Middle Belt governors to urgently establish a regional security framework akin to the Amotekun corps set up by South West states.
“We strongly urge that Governors of the Middlebelt states, must as a matter of urgency, come together to construct an adequate defensive framework to defend their citizens in complementary with the constitutional security arrangements similar to the model designed by the South West states of Nigeria, where they have designed and implemented ‘Amotekun,’” they said.
“The Middle Belt states are overdue for a similar framework and unit.”
Participants called for the formal designation of all killer groups operating in the Middle Belt as terrorist organisations, naming the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) among those that must be scrutinised for their support of acts of violence.
They demanded comprehensive relief and compensation for victims, rebuilding destroyed communities, and the safe and dignified return of displaced persons. Moreover, they called for the prosecution of all illegal occupiers of ancestral lands.
Highlighting the inadequacies of Nigeria’s police force — estimated at fewer than 400,000 officers for a population of over 250 million — the group urged lawmakers to amend the Firearms Act to permit responsible farming communities to bear arms in self-defence, in line with constitutional provisions for the protection of life and property.
They referenced the February 2025 comments of the Director of State Services in Abuja, which acknowledged the impossibility of effective policing under the current circumstances, as evidence that communities must be empowered to defend themselves.
“We demand that Nigerian State and Federal Legislators, especially those representing Middle Belt communities, urgently amend the Firearms Act 1959 (Cap F28 LFN 2004) to permit law-abiding farming communities to arm and defend themselves against terror attacks,” the communique said.
“This is in line with Section 33(2) of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to self-defence in the face of unlawful violence for the defence of property.”
According to the communique, “it has become clear that Middle Belt citizens need to activate the right to bear arms and be the first line of defence for their communities”.
Concluding the communiqué, Middle Belt Concern warned that the survival of the Middle Belt was directly tied to the survival of Nigeria itself.
“If the Middle Belt survives and thrives, Nigeria will survive and thrive,” they stated, issuing a rallying cry to Nigerians, the international community, and all people of goodwill to support efforts to end terror and restore peace and dignity to the heart of the country.
The communiqué was signed by key representatives of Middle Belt Concern: Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, Kiyitwe Gotom, Marie Ene Orgah Esq, Redzie Jugo Esq, Samuel Danauta, and Vitalis Ortese.
