The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state, based on the principles of democracy and social justice. It is hereby accordingly
[FILES] President Muhammadu Buhari ; National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Moguno ; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao and Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali during the National Security meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
It follows that where A witnesses, a minor, B, being assaulted by C, an adult, in a local park, A is well within his rights to rescue B, by effecting a citizen’s power of arrest against C; and, where C attempts to escape, A is lawfully empowered to use reasonable force to impede C’s escape by the provisions of this section.
To put this in perspective, the fundamental definition of war is a conflict executed by force of arms as between nations, or between parties within a nation, whether or not it is motivated by economic, ethnopolitical, religious, territorial or other objectives. Upon that definition, rests the postulation that Nigeria is, in no uncertain terms, at war with terrorists, bandits and so-called unknown gunmen.
Again, on 5th July 2022, Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists attacked the Kuje Maximum Security Prison in Abuja, Nigeria’s political capital, detonating “very high-grade explosives” per media reports, mortally wounding a security officer and injuring 3 others. Over 800 prisoners escaped and over 440 remain at large!
Nevertheless, the continuing attacks on innocent civilians, and the lack of a consistently adequate and robust response from state actors, against the terrorists, to sustainably safeguard the populace, raises serious questions pertaining to the completeness, dynamism and fitness for purpose of the existing National Security Strategy.
Regarding bulletproof vehicles, clearly, this is no utopian aspiration in national security architecture. It is a pragmatic policy proposal worthy of serious consideration.