The Director-General of the Department of State Security, DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, has called for the licensing of firearms for communities to defend themselves during criminal attacks.
Mr Ajayi made the call on Thursday during the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies, AANISS, held in Abuja.
According to him, it is virtually impossible for security operatives to be stationed in all communities across the country at the same time.
He said: “You do not expect the Nigerian Army, Police, or DSS to protect every Nigerian. It is not going to work.
“How can you create the first line of defence? The military, police, and other security agencies have to deal with the bigger ones, like organised crime.
“It is unimaginable that any security agency has the resources to deploy to every community. What we have to start experimenting with is how we can make the community a fist in the first line of defence.
“We have to allow some level of armament for the communities so they can serve as the first line of defence.”
