By Amos Tauna A group, Arewa Development Forum for Peace and Justice, on Sunday rose from its meeting in Kaduna to declare its solid...
By Amos Tauna
A group, Arewa Development Forum for Peace and Justice, on
Sunday rose from its meeting in Kaduna to declare its solidarity with Zamfara
State Governor, Bello Matawalle over his call on Nigerians to legally acquire
firearms to defend themselves against incessant attacks by terrorists in the
state.
Its Chairman, Alhaji Zubairu A Mustafa, faulted what he
described as “the negative reactions” by some Nigerians over the suggestion of
Zamfara State governor, bemoans “discouraging comment” by the Chief of Defence
Staff, General Lucky Irabor, and other elites who were not sincere with
realities of kidnapping, killings and attacks of the communities in the
northwest region and other parts of the country by suspected bandits.
DAILY POST recalls that terrorists invaded a mining site in
the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, killing several people
including soldiers, police and local vigilantes and abducting four Chinese
expatriates.
This was coming a few days after reports of alleged attacks
and kidnap of many people by bandits in some villages in Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger,
Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states in the country went unabated.
The group noted that the multifaceted crime against the
Nigerian state and Nigerians has continued to thrive without any serious
strategies in place to end the challenge by the security operatives, saying
that they are awash with news from some higher-ranking officers in the security
echelons and elites that they are not in support of public bearing arms for
protection.
The group added that the groups of Nigerians are openly
frustrating the efforts by the government of Zamfara state towards empowering
communities to acquire and carry arms legally to protect themselves against the
rampaging invading terrorists that have made peace impossible in their
ancestral homes.
It stated that on Thursday, June 30, at the funeral prayers
for a slain priest in Kaduna, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Diocese, Most
Rev Mattew Man-Oso Ndagoso openly supported the decision of Governor Bello
Mutawalle of empowering and allowing citizens to carry arms legally to protect
themselves against the incessant killings by the ravaging criminals.
The Catholic leader also referenced Governor Aminu Bello
Masari of Katsina State who had earlier suggested the same thing as the only
way to complement what the military and police are doing in the fight against
terrorists in the region.
The group explained that for those saying it’s not right and
disastrous if citizens are allowed to protect themselves in self-defence
against the bandits, asking who is supporting or licensing those invading
bandits to continue maiming and killings by using AK-47s and other dangerous
weapons in our region?
It stated that leaders must act now or Nigerians would
continue to be a target of elimination by minority marauders going about with
weapons against the majority.
The group explained, “If the government refused to act now,
they should know that when people are frustrated, they will look for the best
option for themselves which is to arm themselves. Many people around Zamfara,
Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto states who are victims of such carnages have endorsed
the Zamfara state government’s idea.”
The group further explained that Southwestern states have
brought down the alleged criminal animal rearers’ attacks on their communities
by about 75 percent as a result of their vigilante outfit group known as
AMOTEKUN in collaboration with community patrol volunteers is open to all,
saying that they bear arms and move around with an ale of confidence and fight
against insecurity in their areas.
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