Lagos Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has suggested that the Federal Government may need to permit licensed firearms if it continues to fail in safeguarding Nigerians from escalating violence and abductions.
His remarks follow a fresh wave of kidnappings across the country, heightening anxiety over Nigeria’s deteriorating security environment.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Rhodes-Vivour argued that insecurity is no longer a challenge confined to any region.
He pointed to recent incidents in Kwara and Ogun States as proof that the crisis has spread nationwide.
He warned that when government institutions break down and citizens lose confidence in the state’s ability to protect them, people will naturally seek ways to defend themselves — whether or not the government is prepared for that reality.
“This is not a northern problem alone,” he said. “We witnessed multiple abductions in parts of the Southwest just days ago. When public institutions collapse and trust in government evaporates, people become desperate for alternatives.”
Rhodes-Vivour added that it is unfair for authorities to demand that citizens remain vulnerable while offering little in return.
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“I’m speaking out because the failure of the system is obvious,” he said. “If the government refuses to rise to its responsibilities, then it must start thinking seriously about issuing firearm licences. Expecting people to stay helpless is an act of cruelty.”
He urged the Federal Government to recommit to its constitutional duty of protecting lives, stressing that Nigerians can no longer depend on short-lived or reactive security measures.
