By Editor
Sir, I condemn the carnage that took place on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at the Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State and I commiserate with the families and loved ones of the victims.
As we grieve, I am constrained to admonish us that except we begin to take seriously and exercise our right to self-defence, there will be no end to the senseless killings and destruction of properties going on in Nigeria today.
The Nigerian constitution guarantees every citizen among other rights, the inalienable right to life, the right to dignity of the human person and the right to own property both moveable and immovable. Having guaranteed these rights, the constitution went on to give Nigerians the right to defend themselves from unlawful violence.
To be clear about this, the constitution makes it lawful for one to defend not only himself but his loved ones, neighbours, properties and even strangers from unlawful violence as long as the force applied is proportional to that used by his assailant. That is to say, if you are attacked with a stick, defend yourself with a stick, if you are attacked with a cutlass defend yourself with a cutlass and if you are attacked with a gun, defend yourself with a gun and if in the course of defending yourself as demanded by law you kill your assailant you will not be said to have committed murder.
Knowing that Nigeria is experiencing unprecedented insecurity of unimaginable and embarrassing proportion I find it difficult to understand why the Nigerian government both at the Federal and State level have not taken the pains to educate Nigerians about their right to bear arms for self-defence from armed criminals who come to kill, maim, steal and destroy their properties. The Governor of Ondo, an amofin, should have known better and done better in this regard.
If only the church in Owo was proactive by getting herself armed even with double barrel or pump-action guns, the story would have been different because there would have been some form of balance of terror which is the only language that terrorist understands.
Consequent upon the above, I urge the good people of Ondo State and Nigeria generally, to stop disturbing God with prayers and apply for guns because when the terrorists come firing the only thing that can stop them or at least slow them down is firearms not your speaking in tongues or binding of blood-sucking demons.
Fellow Nigerians, I urge you to apply for single barrel guns, double guns and pump-action guns from the Commissioner of Police of your state of residence; and if you desire to possess an AK-47 riffle, apply to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the only issuing and licensing authority for that category.
• By Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo