Kogiflame
A human rights lawyer, Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to license and grant him and other Nigerians permission to bear AK 47 assault riffle to defend themselves against any attack by Fulani terrorists and bandits.
He said AK 47 should not only be restricted to members of armed forces but Nigerians citizens be allowed to bear the weapon for proportionality of force.
In the suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/1078/2021 filed on Friday September 17th before the Federal high court in Abuja and obtained by Daily Independent the lawyer is seeking an order of the court compelling the President and other relevant licensing authority to grant him and all Nigerians permission and licence to bear arms.
Other defendants in the suit are the 36 States Governors, and their Attorney Generals.
The plaintiff contended that the firearms Act violated the fundamental rights of Nigerians to life, to own properties, to movement and right to family and personal life.
“That the Nigerian Constitution gives every Nigerian the right to defend their fundamental rights listed above from unlawful violence.
“That in collaboration with the Nigerian constitution both the Criminal Code Act and Penal Code Act gives every Nigerian citizen the right to self defence by applying the use of such force as they believe on reasonable grounds to be necessary in order to prevent their fundamental rights to life , dignity of human person, personal liberty, private and family life, peaceful assembly and association, freedom of movement and right to own moveable and immoveable property from unlawful violence.”
“That for the past 12 years, Nigeria has been faced with violent crimes ranging from killings, bloodletting, kidnapping, arson, rape, armed robbery/banditry, cultism, high way robbery, hijacking, abductions, suicide bombing, ethnic cleansing, communal clashes, ritual murders, human trafficking, terrorism and wanton malicious damage of property.
“That the insecurity in Nigeria is heighten with well armed criminal elements who are on daily basis evading Nigeria from other African Countries more particularly West African Countries such as Niger, Senegal, Guinea, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Chad , Cote d Ivoire and Cameroon.”
“If I attack you with stick you have a right to defend with stick. If I attack you cutlass, you have a right to defend with cutlass. If I attack you with AK 47 it will foolish for you to defend yourself with dane gun”, Malcom stated
Addressing journalists shortly after filing the suit Malcom explained that AK 47 should not only be restricted to the members of armed forces but be allowed to be carried by responsible citizens .
He said, “There should be what we call balance of terror. If I know you have what I have I will not come and attack you. But today what do we have , we have criminals who came tp your house do whatever they like ; kill, rape ,and maim because they have what you don’t have”
The human rights lawyer said his action was precipitated on the fact that his letter to the President requesting for permission to own and carry gun in July 2021 had not been attended to.
He noted that the unchecked terror of heavily armed criminals with AK 47, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) and other sophisticated weapons has made no where safe in the country as people are being killed in their homes on their bed and their sleep for no just cause.
Malcom said the carnage going on in the country has proved that the President and Governors have failed to perform their primary responsibilities to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.
The suit read in part ” That those kidnapped are taken into the forest, tortured, brutalized, raped, sodomized, starved with hunger and kept under excruciating condition in the process which many of them dies.
“That because of the height of insecurity in the country, I applied to the 2nd Defendant who is the licensing authority of prohibited fire arms to grant me license to possess and own an A6 147 Premium, AK 47 Assault Rifle via my application of 8/7/2021. Attached and marked as “EXHIBIT C” are copies of the letter to the President and DHL proof of delivery and the acknowledgment of same.
“That despite the fact that the 2nd Defendant received my said application letter on 9/7/2021 he failed refused and/or neglected to grant my application and thereby depriving me of my right to exercise my constitutional right to self defence for the protection of my life, family and property and also for the safeguard of my fundamental rights as enshrined and guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.”
“That without Nigerians being armed with the right caliber of fire arms for their self defence and the inability of the Defendants, their servants, agents and/or privies to checkmate these criminals, these criminals have seized all the bushes and forest in Nigeria sacking the farmers from their ancestral land and farms, depriving millions of Nigerians of their means of sustenance, livelihood and income and encircle the entire country.”
Independent
