The matter was adjourned to enable the plaintiff to serve all court processes to the defendants.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday adjourned till January 24, 2023, to hear a suit filed by a Lagos State-based human rights lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo, asking President Muhammadu Buhari to grant Nigerians a licence to possess a AK-47 assault rifle to defend himself against criminal attacks by bandits.
The matter was adjourned to enable the plaintiff to serve all court processes to the defendants.
The four counsels who were at the proceedings to represent their clients did not object to the move.
Briefing journalists at the court premises, Omirhobo noted that he was disturbed by the rising cases of armed violence and kidnapping in Nigeria and needed to arm himself with the weapon.
He faulted the Nigerian government for refusing to grant him licence to own an assault rifle for self-defence. The human rights lawyer asked the judge to declare that the action is unlawful and illegal.
The lawyer said denying him the right to own a weapon is contrary to Section 3 of the Fire Arms Act Cap. F 28, Laws of the Federation 2004.
Omirhobo is also asking the court to order Buhari and the Inspector-General of Police and all the Commissioners of Police in Nigeria to renew all expired gun licenses upon application by the applicants to enable them exercise their fundamental rights as enshrined in the constitution from attacks of heavily armed criminals with AK-47.
In the suit with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1078/2021 filed on Friday, September 17, 2021, before the Federal High Court in Abuja and obtained by SaharaReporters, the lawyer is seeking an order of the court compelling the President and other relevant licensing authorities to grant him and all Nigerians permission and licences to bear arms for self-defence against attacks by bandits.
He said AK-47 rifles should not only be restricted to members of the Armed Forces.
According to him, Nigerian citizens should also be allowed to bear the weapon for proportionality of force.
The plaintiff had sued the federal government, president Buhari and all the 36 state governors with their attorneys general.