Self-defense in Nehemiah 4:12-23 as „A new normal‟ in the face of insecurity escalation in Nigeria

Abstract

Without any controversy, the challenge of insecurity is a great concern for religious, ethnic, and business persons in Nigerian today. It has come, and we have to curtail it better than how it is presently. Hence, this paper aimed to analytically offer ‘self-defense approach in Nehemiah 4’ as the new normal in solving the problem of insecurity in Nigerian. And also to allay the fear attached to the use of self-defense in Nigeria. The methodology employed for this study was descriptive survey. Nehemiah’s self-defense approach goes beyond weapon bearing, it encompasses “good and timely security intelligence, organized security structure, weapon bearing, situational reports, adequate communication (with coded language), collective defense, and cooperation. The paper recommends that self-defense be fully adopted by the government, religious settings, and communities. And that legislative arm of the government should review and enact self-defense in the Nigerian constitution with provisions to curb its excesses. It should be properly coordinates/moderated by local government.