Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has countered the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, asserting that Nigerians possess the right to bear arms in self-defense.
This comes in response to Lagbaja’s recent statement suggesting that Nigerians have no such right in the aftermath of the Christmas Eve attacks on villages in Plateau State.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Breakfast on Wednesday, Falana emphasized that the Chief of Army Staff’s position was inaccurate. He pointed out that both the penal code applicable in the North and the criminal code applicable in the South recognize the right to self-defense.
Falana clarified, “In other words, if someone aims a gun at me, and I can quickly grab another gun, I have the right to shoot.
“But you are required to apply for the licence first.
“I am just talking of the right to self-defence which is also guaranteed by the Constitution.”