Citizens Should Bear Arms For Protection, Masari Insists

The Katsina State Governor and Chairman, North West Governors’ Forum, Aminu Bello Masari, has reiterated call for citizens to be allowed to bear arms in self-defence as part of measures to curb the spate of insecurity especially, in the North West part of the country.

Masari, who insisted it was totally unacceptable to allow criminals bear arms and use same to attack and kill unarmed citizens, spoke when he led some of his colleagues in the region on a condolence visit to the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and the people of the state.

He argued that dealing with insecurity had nothing to do with religion or ethnic groups, adding that, “We need unusual approach to deal with these people, who are nothing but animals terrorising our people across the country.”

Masari also called for collective efforts by both the leaders and citizens to take ownership of all their forests across the country from bandits and other criminals.

Speaking too, his Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described reserved forests especially, in the northern part of the country as home to criminals.

He said the call for the reclaiming of forest was now or never, adding: “It is no more issue of farming or hunting in our forest but for us to take full ownership of the forest.”

Tambuwal, while responding, commended the governors and their entourage for finding time to visit the state at this time.

He described bandits killing people as criminals, who did not have any ideology but targeting anyone irrespective of religion or political affiliations.

He re-emphasised his call to President Muhammadu Buhari to declare state of emergency in those areas occupied by bandits in the country, saying it would help the military to deal with the criminals in the best language they understood.

Others on the entourage of the visiting governors included Senator Kabiru Gaya, Honourable Ado Doguwa, and members of the Kano State executive council, among others.