By Peter.
Major-General Elias Njoku (rtd), Interim Chairman of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSAN), has firmly rejected calls for private citizens to be licensed to carry firearms for self-defense, insisting that Nigeria is not yet ripe for such a policy.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, November 27, 2025, alongside members of his caretaker committee, Njoku warned that allowing civilians to bear arms at this time would worsen the country’s already severe small arms proliferation crisis, which fuels banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping.
Key Points from the ALPSAN Chairman
- “Those calling for citizens to bear arms are speaking out of frustration. They don’t understand the long-term implications.”
- “Even licensed private security companies in Nigeria are not allowed to carry firearms — there is a process, and the conditions are not yet met.”
- Nigeria’s asymmetric security challenges (bandits, terrorists, unknown gunmen) are far more complex than in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Gambia, and Dubai where armed private guards operate.
- “We have not recovered from the menace of small arms and light weapons already in circulation.”
- Any future arming of private security must:
- Be in close collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Ministry of Interior.
- Follow international best practices (ALPSAN has studied Kenya, Gambia, and South Africa).
- Begin with a pilot scheme after a joint committee submits recommendations.
“Perhaps in the future, and at the appropriate time, a policy shift may happen — but not now. For now, no private guard is allowed to bear arms, but in the coming days, you will see a new wave in the private security architecture of Nigeria.”
The statement directly counters growing demands — including from former Minister Solomon Dalung — for constitutional amendments to allow law-abiding Nigerians to own guns for self-protection amid daily killings and abductions.
ALPSAN emphasized that strengthening training standards, NSCDC integration, and professionalizing the industry must come before any consideration of armed private security, let alone civilians.
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