Inside Nigeria’s unregulated taser market where legal loopholes allow unchecked sale, use

A growing public security risk is emerging across Nigeria due to the unchecked sale and use of tasers. Criminals are exploiting legal loopholes, gaining easy access to these potentially lethal devices, which can incapacitate individuals with high-voltage electric shocks.

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Call your boss, call anyone you know to give us money or we will sell or kill you now.

Mary Aderemi, a resident of Abuja, recounted a harrowing experience in February when she was targeted after boarding a taxi. The passengers, who were accomplices of the driver, produced a knife, a taser, and a gun. Ms. Aderemi was tased, leaving her temporarily paralyzed, before being blindfolded and moved around the city. Her phone was stolen, over N100,000 was withdrawn from her bank account, and a loan app was used with her details, leaving her still hounded for repayment despite providing police reports.

DUBAWA's investigation reveals that tasers are easily obtainable in Nigeria, yet there are no specific regulations governing their use. The Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act (2021), intended to curb illicit arms trade, is silent on tasers. Similarly, the Nigerian Criminal Code does not specifically mention tasers but defines "offensive weapons" broadly as any article, other than a firearm, made or adapted for causing injury.

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Immediately the taser was applied to me, my hands were paralysed! I couldn’t move it for some time. They went ahead to tie and blindfold me, carrying me around Abuja.

This regulatory vacuum allows criminals to easily acquire and deploy tasers, posing a significant threat to public safety. The dual nature of tasers, useful for law enforcement and self-defense in many countries, underscores the essential need for clear regulation to prevent their misuse.

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They said they would take me to the dreadful Kaduna road if I didn’t cooperate with them.