Governor of Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria, Aminu Bello Masari, on Tuesday called on the people in the areas prone to the activities of bandits across the country to acquire weapons and defend themselves.
The call, which is a vote of no confidence on the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the para-military services, was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s Director General (Media), Abdu Labaran Malumfashi.
Governor Masari spoke in Jibia town on Tuesday when he visited to condole with the people over the death of 10 people crushed on Monday by operative of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who was driving an official vehicle with recklessness.
The Governor said it was morally wrong for people to submit meekly to the bandits without any attempt to defend themselves, noting that security is everybody’s business.
“It is the people’s meek submission that emboldens the bandits to continue with their heinous activities with murderous frequency, adding that people must divorce their mind from the mistaken notion that security is government’s sole responsibility,” the statement read in part.
He assured the people that government was perusing all the necessary legal steps to seek redress for the families of the deceased, as well as those who sustained various degrees of injuries.
He added that legal experts had already been consulted to advise on the way forward to ensure speedy legal resolution of the matter.
The Governor however, cautioned the families of the victims not to succumb to any covert enticement from the Nigerian Customs Service, saying that doing so will compromise and jeopardise the government’s efforts to secure justice for the bereaved and injured.
According to Governor Masari, “what (Nigeria) Customs operatives are doing is wrong, and therefore unacceptable. Do not succumb to any covert enticement from the Customs Service, no matter what they offer or promise to do for you. Whatever they want to do for you, let it be in the open, not in secret.
“If you accept any secret offer, then you will be truncating government’s efforts to seek justice for you, but if you resist any untoward move, the organization will then have to rethink its attitude towards its host communities.”