Arewa Defence League (ADL) said it welcomes the statement by the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, that his government is going to assist communities to acquire weapons to defend themselves against bandits and other criminal gangs.
In a statement issued by the president of the ADL, Murtala Abubakar, the group averred that the “Apparent failures of our military and other law enforcement agencies to protect citizens against bandits and other harmful criminals has created an atmosphere where bandits armed with dangerous weapons operate freely in the Northwest and part of Niger State with impunity as they rape, plunder, maim and kill citizens with reckless abandon.”
Many leaders of thoughts, opinion molders, and associations have called on communities to take up arms and defend themselves against the bandits, but some people expressed fears that such calls if heeded could make the situation degenerate to anarchy.
However, ADL said the latest initiative by the Katsina State government to assist communities to arm themselves was a welcomed development.
Ada Peter
