The abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State has renewed calls for Nigerians to be licensed to carry firearms for self-defence.
The calls were made by listeners who participated in Monday’s edition of Dailies Today, on Nigeria Info, hosted by Sheriff Quadri, while discussing the kidnapping and the ransom demanded for the release of the graduates.
The prospective corps members were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on October 1.
According to reports from the victims’ families, 20 graduates were abducted. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each victim, amounting to ₦1 billion, before reducing the demand to ₦5 million per person, bringing the total to ₦100 million.
Relatives have also alleged that the abducted graduates, including female victims, have been beaten by their captors. Families have appealed to the government and security agencies to secure their release.
The incident has raised concern over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to fulfil the mandatory national service.
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👉 JOIN WHATSAPP CHANNELSecurity agencies say they have located the suspected hideout where the victims are being held. Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso said drone surveillance helped operatives identify the location, but an immediate assault was delayed by intelligence that the camp had been planted with improvised explosive devices. Police said bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers were being deployed to support the rescue operation.
Against this backdrop, callers to Nigeria Info’s Morning Crossfire argued that Nigerians should be allowed to obtain firearms legally for self-defence, with proper licensing and regulation.
The demand is not new. In November 2025, the Senate backed a proposal seeking a review of Nigeria’s firearms laws to allow responsible citizens to own or bear firearms amid rising insecurity and kidnapping.
Under Nigeria’s Firearms Act, possession of specified personal firearms requires a licence from the Inspector-General of Police, while prohibited firearms require presidential authorisation.
The Nigeria Police Force also has a process for firearm licence applications, including medical certification, character references and background checks.
However, the police have previously said the issuance of firearms licences remained suspended, citing concerns over the proliferation of illegal weapons.
The latest calls have therefore renewed attention on Nigeria’s firearms policy and the debate over whether the country should maintain its restrictive approach or allow carefully regulated civilian ownership for self-protection amid persistent kidnapping and other violent crimes.
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