Reps ask Buhari to rescind executive order retrieving all gun licences

The house of representatives has called on President Muhammadu
Buhari to rescind an executive order mopping up guns with private
individuals.

The lower legislative chamber made the call on Thursday after
adopting a motion seeking to revoke the “executive order to remove,
revoke and banish all firearms certificates and licences throughout
the federation”.

It said mopping up the guns would expose citizens to dangers and
deny them self defense.

Nnenna Ukeje from Abia state, who sponsored the motion, said
Buhari recently signed the executive order that is to take effect
on June 1, 2019.

TheCable could not immediately confirm the contents of the order
as Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, presidential spokespersons, were
not reachable when this report was filed.

According to Ukeje, while there is need for gun control,
withdrawing legal guns would mean “only illegal guns will be in
circulation and only criminals will own guns.”

“One would have thought that government position will be to
domesticate international conventions that have proven around the
world to be effective in curbing proliferation small arms and light
weapons,” she said.

Most of the lawmakers also agreed with Ukeje’s submission as
they argued there should be clear provisions for getting a gun
licence rather than retrieving all the ones granted.

Alexander Adekola from Ekiti state said the executive order will
make Nigerians vulnerable to attack.

“This executive order is to make everybody in Nigeria
vulnerable. Are they saying people use them to kidnap or kill? No.
It is the kidnappers and armed robbers that are using it without
licence,” he said.

Simon Arabo from Kaduna state argued that “you cannot use an
executive order to override a lawfully acquired weapon.”

According to him, “if most of the weapons are being used
illegally, it is for the security to go and tackle that. Not for
people who have theirs legally. I think that executive order if it
has been signed, should be overwritten.”

Mojeed Alabi from Osun state, however, supported mopping up the
guns on the ground that the police “has no clear criteria for
issuing a gun licence” in Nigeria “except you want to give them
money.”

“So people take guns without any procedure visible to all of us.
If the police do not have a full regulations guiding ownership or
acquisition of guns, then I will advise they be withdrawn,” he
said.

“The procedure is wrong and because of that, the president is
right to say they withdraw it. Let them come up with
regulations.”

The lawmakers subsequently voted against the order and urged the
president to withdraw it.

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