Would you buy a bullet proof vest that is Made in Nigeria?

Home | Life | ( 1 ) | Subscribe

Given the rate at which terrorism is spreading in North Eastern Nigeria and with bombs going off in Nigeria's capital city Abuja, it may only be a matter of time before we in Southern Nigeria would start feeling the heat. What do we do when a full scale civil war breaks up? They say that in times of war, it is only the unprepared ones that become casualties.

I was thinking along this line as a concerned Nigerian and was pondering on what the best option was in order to remain safe and protected if I was going to continue living in Nigeria amidst the growing insecurity. Already, many Nigerians are moving out of the country and northerners are moving south because of insecurity, parents are relocating their children to boarding schools outside Borno state given the rise of Kidnapping spearheaded by Boko haram and even civilians are organizing themselves into local vigilantes in order to protect themselves. What does can a person do as an individual to protect himself in a violent nation?

Well, one thing that first came to mind was getting a bullet proof. I would have also wanted to go for military training for a year or so and even get a gun licence if the Nigerian law allows it just to be combat ready. Personally, I think it's time Nigeria changes the law regarding having guns at home just like it is in countries like the USA. If every Nigerian at least has a gun at home, it might increase their chances of surviving when under an attack rather than dying helplessly as in the case in many of Borno villages. It would be nice to at least have a bullet proof vest.

I was searching on the internet on where to get a bullet proof vest and I saw that they've started a local manufacturing plant for it already but it seemed that their product was only sold to military men and security agencies of the govt. Why don't they sell these security items to individuals and ordinary citizens of Nigeria. Nigerian citizens too do need protection and I think this is even more necessary in a situation where the Federal govt can no longer guarantee efficient security for their citizens. People should be given more access to security items like bullet proof vests and a gun if possible too.

I also ran across a thread on a popular online forum called Nairaland and it was on a topic about President Goodluck Jonathan commission a Bullet proof factory in Kaduna. Well, I said it's a good thing that they are now doing it in Nigeria rather than allowing people to import these items into Nigeria from abroad. However, a funny comment on the topic which I read said "Would you wear a made in Nigeria bulletproof vest, and think you are protected?".

Well, It can be hard trusting anything like a bullet proof that is made in Nigeria but it is still better than not having any protective gadget on you when armed militants decide to strike. If most of those villagers who were killed in Borno state at least had a bulletproof on them, even if it was made in Nigeria, many of them would have survived. The problem however is that it doesn't seem like the manufacturing company or the govt has made it legal for ordinary Nigerians to own bullet proofs or carry arms.

Amidst the growing insecurity in the country, I think it's time for ordinary citizens of Nigeria to have access to things like bullet proof vests and guns at home just to protect themselves. People need to have their own form of personal security and not just die like chickens any time violence strikes.

I think many Nigerians would buy bullet proof vests whether they were made in Kaduna or Aba as long as it offers a form of protection to them even if they may not have the same quality with ones made in the USA OR Russia.

Posted by Felix Okoli on Wednesday May 7, 2014 at 12:7:34: