Rhodes-Vivour to FG: Consider Licensing Firearms as Insecurity Spreads

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos who recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has urged the federal government to consider licensing firearms for citizens in the face of worsening insecurity across the country.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Rhodes-Vivour said the government’s continued failure to protect lives and property has left Nigerians vulnerable, noting that security challenges are no longer confined to the northern region.

“This is not just about the north. We witnessed cases of abductions in Kwara and Ogun over the weekend,” he said.

The ADC chieftain argued that the erosion of public trust and the frequent destruction of institutions have pushed many Nigerians to the brink, insisting that self-defence may become the only option left if government security structures remain ineffective.

“In this failure, if the government cannot sit up, then they should start considering licensing firearms,” he said.
“It is wicked to ask people to remain helpless when their lives are at risk.”

Rhodes-Vivour expressed concern over the spike in terrorist attacks on schools, worship centres and rural communities, warning that citizens will naturally devise their own means of protection if the security agencies appear overwhelmed.

“If people no longer believe the judiciary will deliver justice or that the police will protect lives, they must act,” he stated.
“If the military withdraws from an area and terrorists immediately return to kidnap and kill, the people will have to defend themselves.”

He criticised the Tinubu administration for what he described as a misplaced focus on political permutations ahead of the 2027 elections rather than urgent national security concerns.

“If I were in government, I would focus on protecting lives, not only the next election,” he said, adding that the handling of security issues has created “room for doubt, conspiracy and a credibility crisis.”

Rhodes-Vivour also questioned the government’s approach of negotiating with bandits, describing the strategy as unsustainable and counterproductive.

According to him, the deteriorating security situation suggests that the present administration does not place sufficient value on human life.

He called on the federal government to return to its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding citizens, stressing that the killings and kidnappings must not be allowed to continue unchecked.