The Chairman of Zamfara State Council of Chiefs and Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Mohammed Ahmad, has said it may be better for the Nigerian government to give everyone the right to bear arms for protection due to the rising cases of insecurity in the country.
Attahiru disclosed this during a condolence visit to the Emir of Kaura Namoda, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad Asha, who lost eight people as a result of an attack on his convoy.
He said that the peace accord and reconciliation process initiated by Governor Bello Matawalle would not end banditry in the state because the bandits would never give up.
The Emir further lamented the frequent attacks on traditional rulers by bandits in the country.
He said, “I think I talked to you earlier; this was the second in line. Last year, Emir of Potiskum was attacked; here in Zamfara, Emir of Bukkuyum was also attacked and his orderly was killed in the process. I can also remember (that) even Emir of Yauri was attacked some time ago.
“We are tired of appeals, appeals always, people are making appeals every day. If nothing is done, I think it will be better to allow everyone to carry weapons for protection.”
Similarly, in 2018, The former Minister for Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, called on Nigerians to defend themselves against ethnic cleansing.
Danjuma, who spoke during the maiden convocation of Taraba State University in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, condemned the killings going on in Taraba State and across the country at the time.
He said, “You must rise to protect yourselves from these people, if you depend on the Arm Forces to protect you, you will all die. This ethnic creasing must stop in Taraba, and it must stop in Nigeria. These killers have been protected by the military, they cover them and you must be watchful to guide and protect yourselves because you have no other place to go.
“The ethnic cleansing must stop now otherwise Somalia will be child’s play. I ask all of you to be on the alert and defend your country, defend your state.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
