In February 2025, a criminal gang used a taser to subdue and rob Mary Aderemi after she boarded a taxi in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. The assailants withdrew over N100,000 from her bank account and used her details to borrow money from a loan app, which continues to harass her despite police reports and a court affidavit.
The February Attack
Mary Aderemi entered an ash-coloured Volkswagen taxi around the Churchgate area of Abuja at about 1 pm, heading to her lecture centre for an accounting certification exam. The car stopped repeatedly to pick up three other passengers, who turned out to be accomplices of the driver. “The glasses were wound up as the last person entered; that was when I knew it was a tinted vehicle and sensed something was amiss,” she recalled. “Next minute, one brought out a knife, while another put forward a taser. The third man also had a gun with him.” The man next to her started hitting her, while another used a taser on her, paralyzing her hands. They tied and blindfolded her, threatening to take her to the deadly Kaduna road if she did not cooperate.
Regulatory Vacuum
DUBAWA’s investigation found no laws specifically regulating tasers in Nigeria. The Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act (2021) is silent on tasers, and the Criminal Code only mentions “offensive weapons” without listing tasers. Muyiwa Adejobi, then police spokesperson, stated in December 2022 that “the law of Nigeria doesn’t permit individuals to own these items,” but he did not cite a specific statute. Despite repeated attempts, DUBAWA could not get further clarification from Mr Adejobi or FCT police spokesperson Josephine Adeh. Lawyer George Anasam noted that “there is no law that prohibits you from possessing tasers in Nigeria as it doesn’t fall under items that are categorically mentioned in the country’s laws of firearms as a weapon.” He added that the use of a taser to commit a crime would constitute an offence.
Easy Access to Tasers
Tasers are widely available in markets such as Bodija Market in Ibadan, Computer Village in Ikeja, and Banex Plaza in Abuja. Online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X also host sellers. One seller, Alishia of AliceandBelleSafetyGadgets, offered a phone taser for N20,500 via WhatsApp and delivered it through a ride-hailing driver. Another seller, Adebiyi Ijoba, offered a taser for N20,000 and said he ships them from abroad. In Banex Plaza, seller Bil-Yaminu Saadu sold a taser for N12,000 after haggling, with no questions asked about the buyer's intent. Over 15 vendors were identified, none of whom inquired about the weapon's intended use.
Self-Defense and Misuse
Some Nigerians buy tasers for self-defense. Oloye Oloyede of Nasarawa State purchased one in 2023 to protect against attacks. Journalist Segun Falade was tased by private security at an APC stakeholders' meeting in Lagos ahead of the July 2021 local elections, despite having a press invitation. “The experience was quite traumatic for me, and I can’t imagine why I have to face such a kind of danger in the course of my work,” he said.
Health Risks
Dr. Ahmed AbdulBasit of the Federal Medical Centre, Lagos, explained that tasers incapacitate by targeting muscles and nerves. Victims may suffer emotional distress, PTSD, and head injuries if they fall. “Individuals exposed to taser use will have post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or fear, and may be fatal when tased close to the head,” he warned.
Calls for Regulation
Security analyst Malik Samuel of Good Governance Africa urged that “their sale should be licensed, age-restricted, and properly tracked, with strict penalties for misuse.” Lawyer Moshood Ibrahim added that the Constitution allows possession until explicitly prohibited, but regulation is needed to define purchase rules and penalties. The lack of oversight leaves a loophole exploited by criminals, endangering public safety across Nigeria.
