Drizzt
Member
Africa News
February 18, 2003 Tuesday
LENGTH: 1589 words
HEADLINE: Nigeria;
Guns for All?
BYLINE: Daily Champion
BODY:
With rising insecurity of lives and property in the country, staff writer, UGOCHUKWU ITEOGU, looks at the rising clamour for individuals to be licensed to own guns, as well as the pros and cons of liberalisation of gun ownership.
MR. Ikwunze Arukwe is a trader who deals in imported clothes and fabrics. He resides in Lagos but on several occasions, he has had cause to ferry some of his goods to, mostly, the eastern part of the country.
Like many other Nigerians, the harsh economic climate has impacted negatively on his business and as such, he has had to go the extra mile to break even in his business dealings. For him, buying and selling is the only avenue to eke out an honest living. Indeed, each time he makes a profit, a significant amount of it goes back into his business.
At the end of each year, he gives thanks to God for his modest achievements and like many other easterners, he, along with his family, takes a trip back home to enjoy the Christmas and new year celebrations.
However, sometime in December last year, as he was rounding off his business activities, men of the under world stormed his house in the early hours of one fateful day.
After they had overpowered the security men at the gate, they forcibly gained entry into the main building that housed Mr. Arukwe and his family.
"They used sharp objects on the burglary proof bars of the window. This was only after they had broken the windows and made so much noise which would have woken even the dead.
"They were unco-ordinated, their style of operation was crude, the way they went about things, I could tell that they were plain miscreants or area boys who had some how gotten access to some firearms," he told Daily Champion.
Mr. Arukwe explained that his natural inclination was to pick up a machete and try to defend his family but on second thoughts he could have easily been disarmed and such would possibly have resulted in disastrous consequences for his household.
Said he: "When they finally gained entrance into my apartment, the first question they asked was "where is your gun." I told them quite frankly that if I had a gun, one or two of them would already be dead. This response earned me a slap but their leader on second thoughts felt that what I said was true and they left me alone to search for money".
In his Isolo home, the fear of robbery attack was an ever looming possibility. His wife, children and nephews always feared that with the regular invasions by armed hoodlums in their neighbourhood, it would only be a matter of time before they would fall victims.
According to Arukwe", if only I had a gun, especially a small automatic pistol, I would have sent a great majority of those crooks to hell and probably earned my compound the reputation of a 'no go area' which would have deterred other aspiring bandits".
Arukwe is not alone in this line of thinking. Indeed, a cross section of Nigerians in recent times are of the view that in the face of increasing threat to lives and property, more Nigerians need to demand the right to own and use fire arms for self protection.
According to Mr. J.B. Dauda, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the escalating incidence of armed robbery in the country requires a complete overhaul of the entire security system in the country such that the citizens would feel protected.
Despite the arguments for and against liberalised gun ownership, it is a glaring reality in the world today, that small arms which include rifles, pistols and light machine guns, are filling African graves in ever increasing numbers.
From the killing fields of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the streets of Lagos and Johannesburg, guns have done no good to mankind. The direct cost can be high A 1997 study of 1,000 gunshot victims in South Africa put the total cost of hospital treatment at nearly R 30 million (then $6.5 million). The indirect impact of gun violence on public health systems, asserts the World Health Organisation (WHO), is also huge. Treating a large number of patients with gunshot wounds "has a draining effect on basic healthcare and diverts much needed resources from other health and social services".
This notwithstanding, Mr. Abdul Oroh, executive director, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) is of the view that with mounting levels of insecurity, qualified citizens should be allowed greater access to the use of firearms.
He explained that: "In every society where there is insecurity the problems have to be addressed.
"In Nigeria there are social conflicts and poverty, there are criminal activities and business conflicts which cause crime. "The failure of law enforcement agencies has also prompted people to be looking for awareness of self defence or retribution, vengeance and vendetta.
"We need to restore law and order and well as the rule of law. People need to have confidence in our system, such that when someone owes you money you know the matter will be taken care of without your having to resort to self justice", he said.
Mr. Oroh contended that the numerous wars in Africa particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone also gave rise to the influx of sophisticated weapons into the country. He stressed that the UN had even raised an alarm over the large number of small arms in the West African subregion.
Oroh also stated that: "In disciplined or more civilized societies, there are greater controls regarding the arms issue. In South Africa there exists weapons training and when people visit night clubs or restaurants, they are asked to submit their weapons until they are prepared to leave".
Said he: "In Nigeria, people should be allowed to own pistols which are currently illegal. People above 18 years are mature enough to own firearms but such should not be seen as a fundamental right but rather as a priviledge. After all, the right to bear arms is even enshrined in the constitution of the United States'.
Outside Nigeria, the international community has been searching, so far unsuccessfully, for an agreement on the regulation of the global trade in small arms.
A growing number of African countries, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations are grappling with the human and developmental consequences of gun violence and are frantically seeking to reduce both the supply and the demand.
Assessing the peace-time impact of small arms on some African countries is difficult. Many countries lack the capacity to collect and analyse data about the use of small arms. Moreover, much of the cost of the use of small arms to development, such as deterred investment, reduced economic activity and lost productivity due to injury and insecurity are indirect and therefore hard to measure.
Globally, WHO put the number of violent deaths from all causes in 1998 at 2.3 million people. Several hundred thousands of these are believed to be gunshot victims, 42 percent died as a result of suicide, 32 percent through outright murders and 26 percent as a result of wars. The study found a correlation between gun violence and underdevelopment. Death rates in low and middle income countries at 42 per 100,000 people, were more than double the 17 per 100,000 rate found in high income countries.
Many hundreds of thousands more people survive gun injuries, but require costly medical care and often suffer permanent physical and emotional disabilities. The absence of sophisticated emergency medical facilities, however, means that far more gunshot injuries prove fatal to victims in developing countries than in the industrialized world.
It is probably after taking cognisance of these and other issues that the Nigerian government maintains its own policy of gun restrictions. According to Mr. Yemi Ajayi, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, military weapons, automatic rifles such as AK-47,K2,FNC,LAR,SMG, semi-automatic weapons like pump action short and long guns and pistols are not subject to licencing. Weapons which can be licened, he said, are air guns, double barrel long or shot guns or any other weapon which is deemed fit for game or sports.
He explained also that the conditions for issuing a licence are as follows: The recipient must be 17 years and above, must not have defective eyesight, that is, the person must not have a squint or be crosseyed. The person must have a means of subsistence, must not have been convicted, must have no history of mental disability and after satisfying these conditions then the Inspector General of Police can, at his discretion, approve the licence.
"Guns are not issued primarily for self defence in this country but where a person's life or property is threatened, they will not be held liable if they use their firearms.
"Currently, there exists a ban which affects new licences. This is in place due to the high level of gun proliferation and unrestricted access. People who already have licences will have them renewed annually if they still meet the necessary conditions", he stressed.
As it is, therefore, the clamour for people to be licensed to possess firearms is in conflict with government's resolve to restrict access to the lethal weapons. Analysts insist that the clamour would die down if the security agencies are made to provide better security for the people and their property.
Till this is done, they say, the clamour will remain and , most likely, increase in intensity, with individuals going out of their way to acquire the guns illegally.
February 18, 2003 Tuesday
LENGTH: 1589 words
HEADLINE: Nigeria;
Guns for All?
BYLINE: Daily Champion
BODY:
With rising insecurity of lives and property in the country, staff writer, UGOCHUKWU ITEOGU, looks at the rising clamour for individuals to be licensed to own guns, as well as the pros and cons of liberalisation of gun ownership.
MR. Ikwunze Arukwe is a trader who deals in imported clothes and fabrics. He resides in Lagos but on several occasions, he has had cause to ferry some of his goods to, mostly, the eastern part of the country.
Like many other Nigerians, the harsh economic climate has impacted negatively on his business and as such, he has had to go the extra mile to break even in his business dealings. For him, buying and selling is the only avenue to eke out an honest living. Indeed, each time he makes a profit, a significant amount of it goes back into his business.
At the end of each year, he gives thanks to God for his modest achievements and like many other easterners, he, along with his family, takes a trip back home to enjoy the Christmas and new year celebrations.
However, sometime in December last year, as he was rounding off his business activities, men of the under world stormed his house in the early hours of one fateful day.
After they had overpowered the security men at the gate, they forcibly gained entry into the main building that housed Mr. Arukwe and his family.
"They used sharp objects on the burglary proof bars of the window. This was only after they had broken the windows and made so much noise which would have woken even the dead.
"They were unco-ordinated, their style of operation was crude, the way they went about things, I could tell that they were plain miscreants or area boys who had some how gotten access to some firearms," he told Daily Champion.
Mr. Arukwe explained that his natural inclination was to pick up a machete and try to defend his family but on second thoughts he could have easily been disarmed and such would possibly have resulted in disastrous consequences for his household.
Said he: "When they finally gained entrance into my apartment, the first question they asked was "where is your gun." I told them quite frankly that if I had a gun, one or two of them would already be dead. This response earned me a slap but their leader on second thoughts felt that what I said was true and they left me alone to search for money".
In his Isolo home, the fear of robbery attack was an ever looming possibility. His wife, children and nephews always feared that with the regular invasions by armed hoodlums in their neighbourhood, it would only be a matter of time before they would fall victims.
According to Arukwe", if only I had a gun, especially a small automatic pistol, I would have sent a great majority of those crooks to hell and probably earned my compound the reputation of a 'no go area' which would have deterred other aspiring bandits".
Arukwe is not alone in this line of thinking. Indeed, a cross section of Nigerians in recent times are of the view that in the face of increasing threat to lives and property, more Nigerians need to demand the right to own and use fire arms for self protection.
According to Mr. J.B. Dauda, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the escalating incidence of armed robbery in the country requires a complete overhaul of the entire security system in the country such that the citizens would feel protected.
Despite the arguments for and against liberalised gun ownership, it is a glaring reality in the world today, that small arms which include rifles, pistols and light machine guns, are filling African graves in ever increasing numbers.
From the killing fields of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the streets of Lagos and Johannesburg, guns have done no good to mankind. The direct cost can be high A 1997 study of 1,000 gunshot victims in South Africa put the total cost of hospital treatment at nearly R 30 million (then $6.5 million). The indirect impact of gun violence on public health systems, asserts the World Health Organisation (WHO), is also huge. Treating a large number of patients with gunshot wounds "has a draining effect on basic healthcare and diverts much needed resources from other health and social services".
This notwithstanding, Mr. Abdul Oroh, executive director, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) is of the view that with mounting levels of insecurity, qualified citizens should be allowed greater access to the use of firearms.
He explained that: "In every society where there is insecurity the problems have to be addressed.
"In Nigeria there are social conflicts and poverty, there are criminal activities and business conflicts which cause crime. "The failure of law enforcement agencies has also prompted people to be looking for awareness of self defence or retribution, vengeance and vendetta.
"We need to restore law and order and well as the rule of law. People need to have confidence in our system, such that when someone owes you money you know the matter will be taken care of without your having to resort to self justice", he said.
Mr. Oroh contended that the numerous wars in Africa particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone also gave rise to the influx of sophisticated weapons into the country. He stressed that the UN had even raised an alarm over the large number of small arms in the West African subregion.
Oroh also stated that: "In disciplined or more civilized societies, there are greater controls regarding the arms issue. In South Africa there exists weapons training and when people visit night clubs or restaurants, they are asked to submit their weapons until they are prepared to leave".
Said he: "In Nigeria, people should be allowed to own pistols which are currently illegal. People above 18 years are mature enough to own firearms but such should not be seen as a fundamental right but rather as a priviledge. After all, the right to bear arms is even enshrined in the constitution of the United States'.
Outside Nigeria, the international community has been searching, so far unsuccessfully, for an agreement on the regulation of the global trade in small arms.
A growing number of African countries, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations are grappling with the human and developmental consequences of gun violence and are frantically seeking to reduce both the supply and the demand.
Assessing the peace-time impact of small arms on some African countries is difficult. Many countries lack the capacity to collect and analyse data about the use of small arms. Moreover, much of the cost of the use of small arms to development, such as deterred investment, reduced economic activity and lost productivity due to injury and insecurity are indirect and therefore hard to measure.
Globally, WHO put the number of violent deaths from all causes in 1998 at 2.3 million people. Several hundred thousands of these are believed to be gunshot victims, 42 percent died as a result of suicide, 32 percent through outright murders and 26 percent as a result of wars. The study found a correlation between gun violence and underdevelopment. Death rates in low and middle income countries at 42 per 100,000 people, were more than double the 17 per 100,000 rate found in high income countries.
Many hundreds of thousands more people survive gun injuries, but require costly medical care and often suffer permanent physical and emotional disabilities. The absence of sophisticated emergency medical facilities, however, means that far more gunshot injuries prove fatal to victims in developing countries than in the industrialized world.
It is probably after taking cognisance of these and other issues that the Nigerian government maintains its own policy of gun restrictions. According to Mr. Yemi Ajayi, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, military weapons, automatic rifles such as AK-47,K2,FNC,LAR,SMG, semi-automatic weapons like pump action short and long guns and pistols are not subject to licencing. Weapons which can be licened, he said, are air guns, double barrel long or shot guns or any other weapon which is deemed fit for game or sports.
He explained also that the conditions for issuing a licence are as follows: The recipient must be 17 years and above, must not have defective eyesight, that is, the person must not have a squint or be crosseyed. The person must have a means of subsistence, must not have been convicted, must have no history of mental disability and after satisfying these conditions then the Inspector General of Police can, at his discretion, approve the licence.
"Guns are not issued primarily for self defence in this country but where a person's life or property is threatened, they will not be held liable if they use their firearms.
"Currently, there exists a ban which affects new licences. This is in place due to the high level of gun proliferation and unrestricted access. People who already have licences will have them renewed annually if they still meet the necessary conditions", he stressed.
As it is, therefore, the clamour for people to be licensed to possess firearms is in conflict with government's resolve to restrict access to the lethal weapons. Analysts insist that the clamour would die down if the security agencies are made to provide better security for the people and their property.
Till this is done, they say, the clamour will remain and , most likely, increase in intensity, with individuals going out of their way to acquire the guns illegally.