When DUBAWA decided to look into the use of Tasers in Nigeria, it only sought to answer a question that arose on social media about whether it is legal to carry and use the potentially lethal devices in Nigeria.
That question took us to some of Nigeria’s megacities to fact-check this situation, and the findings on the field revealed more unanswered concerns.
Our report titled “Inside Nigeria’s unregulated taser market where legal loopholes allow unchecked sale, use,” was published on July 26, 2026, documenting the sad experiences of Nigerians who have been victims of unjust taser attacks.
Below are five key revelations from the report:
- Anyone can buy a taser, online or offline
In our months-long investigation, we established that contrary to claims on the internet that Nigerian law prohibits taser usage, the device could be bought by anyone in the country through online marketplaces like a regular commodity or at physical places.
DUBAWA found some of the hotspots at Banex Plaza and Wuse in Abuja, at Computer Village in Lagos, at Bodija Market in Ibadan, and on several social media pages.
- Legal silence and regulatory gaps
According to our investigation, Nigeria’s Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act (2021) does not mention tasers, while the Criminal Code only broadly refers to “offensive weapons” without specifically regulating stun devices.
The Act has no specific mention of tasers. Thus, DUBAWA presented our findings to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and asked if they were aware of the common availability of tasers. As of press time, we got no response from the agency.
- Tasers used to commit crimes and intimidate
Our investigation documented the experience of an Abuja resident, Mary Aderemi, who was kidnapped after boarding what appeared to be a commercial taxi. During the attack, one of the kidnappers used a taser to immobilise her before she was blindfolded, beaten and robbed of over ₦100,000.
We also found that tasers are used for intimidation. Segun Falade, a journalist covering political activities ahead of Lagos State’s local government elections, shared how a private security personnel used a taser on him while preventing journalists from accessing an event despite possessing an official invitation.
- Tasers for self-defence amid regulatory and health concerns
Some Nigerians, who spoke to DUBAWA during the field trip, said they purchased tasers strictly for self-defence due to rising insecurity and frequent attacks by criminals in the West African region.
However, Malik Samuel, a senior researcher at Good Governance Africa, a pan-African think tank, told DUBAWA the absence of age restrictions at the points of sale further compounds the risk.
Similarly, medical experts also cautioned that tasers can cause serious injuries. “Individuals exposed to taser use will have post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or fear, and it may be fatal when tased close to the head,” said Ahmed AbdulBasit, a neurosurgeon.
5. The need for regulation
Moshood Ibrahim, a legal practitioner based in Kwara State, said that, as seen in Section 36(12) of the Constitution, no one can be prosecuted for possessing a taser, since it is not expressly described as a crime under the law.
But this constitutional provision, he added, needs to set limitations for tasers to keep our roads, campuses and other places safe from dangerous gangs who are using it to wreak havoc.
“The law needs to define how it should be purchased, who should sell it or the penalty for using it in a justifiable way,” Moshood said.