The Federal Government yesterday authorized The Federal Civil Defense Corps to bear arms.
This is rather disturbing given the palpable threats already posed by small and large arms proliferation in Nigeria and when the country is at the verge of losing the war against curbing the menace of extrajudicial killings dubbed "accidental discharge" by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force.
Apart from wondering what a Civil Defense Organisation would bear arms for when we already have a well armed, full fledged military and police departments one is at a loss at the propriety of this action. Did it follow due process? What is the justification for this approval? Was any feasibility study of the Civil Defense Corps undertaken or an Organisational Readiness Survey carried out?
Surprisingly, the Interior Minister in conveying this approval implored the corps management and their operatives to "bear the arms with responsibility". This is laughable, firearms are a tool of force and coercion, who has ever borne arms with responsibility? Except there are stringent and enforceable rules and regulations that acts as a restraint.
This is an accident waiting to happen.
