Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said Nigerians have a constitutional right to defend themselves against attackers.
Bwala stated this on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television while reacting to recent violent attacks in parts of the country, including the killings and abductions in Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The presidential aide said the Nigerian Constitution guarantees citizens the right to self-defence.
“The constitution has guaranteed to every citizen of Nigeria the right to self-defence; you have the right to defend yourself,” he said.
“When your right, my right, and that of my neighbour is put together, it becomes collective rights to defend ourselves and Nigerians have the right to defend themselves.”
He added that any citizen faced with a life-threatening attack could lawfully take steps to protect themselves.
“If you come to my house to try to kill me, any lethal weapon I use to defend myself is guaranteed by the Constitution,” Bwala stated.
He, however, clarified that the possession of firearms and certain weapons remained regulated under Nigerian law.
“Nigerians don’t have the right to bear certain arms unless those arms are permitted, but people can come together to apply to the government for the right to coordinate themselves,” he said.
Speaking on the broader security situation in the country, Bwala said insecurity was a global challenge and stressed the importance of collective action and intelligence sharing in combating criminal activities.
“Solution is what we all look to; evil men operate anywhere in the world, no matter how tight you are as a government,” he said.
“You do your best and expect that with the help of God and collective participation of the people through collective intelligence, we will be able to put an end to it.”
The presidential aide acknowledged growing public frustration over repeated attacks and killings across the country.
“I know the Nigerian people will continue to complain. For example, no matter how we say that we are sorry and the incident happens again, people will complain, cry and mourn because it’s the lives of the Nigerian people that are taken away by the evil element,” he said.
“We will put an end to this as a people.”
Bwala also linked the rise in insecurity to election cycles, claiming that violent incidents often increase during politically sensitive periods.
“Every eve of elections in Nigeria from 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026, you will see that crisis increases because of the idea of a crisis economy. A lot of people take advantage of that, but the will and spirit of the people is what will put an end to this situation,” he said.
He further highlighted the role played by local vigilance groups and paramilitary organisations in supporting security agencies with intelligence gathering, particularly in conflict-prone states such as Borno.
