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Fred Itua, Abuja
The Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN) has called on relevant authorities to amend Section 17 of the Private Guard Decree of 1986, as amended in 2004, which prohibits private security guards from carrying arms.
The union said the law was not cast in stone and that it should be amended to allow them bear arms. According to the National President of ALPSPN, Wilson Esangbedo, the need to amend the Private Guard Decree was long overdue, given ongoing security threats in the country.
“We want to appeal for the amendment of the Private Guard Decree of 1986 to incorporate the carrying of arms of private guards as well as other salient amendments that will strengthen the functions of the ALPSPN to better serve the country,” Esangbedo said.
He also faulted an editorial by a national daily that condemned the arming of private security guards.
“The editorial is a fallout of the association’s appeal to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, for private security guards in Nigeria to be permitted to bear arms. It is gratifying to note that the newspaper did not fault the argument of the ALPSPN on the global examples of private security guards bearing arms, rather it dwelt on other industry issues such minimum wage, alleged ostentatious and lavish lifestyles of chief executives of private security firm owners and clerical functions of some private security guards where they are posted to.
“One, the issue of minimum wage is a nation-wide challenge which even state governments with humungous allocations from the federation account are finding it hard to implement. However, the association dare say that it fares better in remuneration and working condition more than most organisations.
