Authorize carrying of arms for self defence – Zamfara monarch

The Emir of Anka in Zamfara state, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, has appealed to the state government to allow people of the state to carry arms and defend themselves against banditry.

Attahiru, who paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Kaura-Namoda, who was attacked by bandits last week said, “Since the bandits refused to surrender, the government should allow everyone to carry weapons for self defence.”

He said 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.

Attahiru, who said the Chairman of the state council of chiefs said, “One cannot make peace with people who are not ready to embrace peace and reconciliation as initiated by the government.

“No single individual in this world is above the power of the government, unless the government does not want to act”.

He also urged government at all levels to give security operatives the chance to deal with the bandits, stressing that security operatives could handle the situation if given the chance and weapons.

Recall that the Emir of Kaura-Namoda, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad, was attacked along the Zaria-Gusau Road on Thursday last week when he was returning to the state from Abuja and eight persons in his convoy were killed.

In a related development, the Ekiti Council of Elders have bemoaned the non-approval by the Federal Government of firearms for the Amotekun Corps in the South-West states despite the proliferation of arms across the country.

The council’s President, Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi, Secretary Niyi Ajibulu and Public Relations Officer, Dr Bayo Orire, said this was more worrisome “with the ubiquity of bandits that Amotekun will have to contend with” in the different states”.

The council called on the governors of the South-West states “to continue to discuss with the Federal Government so as to properly equip Amotekun, particularly in the area of firearms”.

It decried the legal brick wall constituted on the path of Amotekun, which pushed the security agency from being a regional outfit to states.

Although the elders expressed delight that the security outfit came into being, they, however, said, “The South-West State government should realize that Amotekun can only succeed in its task if it remains community owned and community driven. It is through these that the outfit can be indispensable to other security agencies through intelligence sharing as well as detecting and forestalling crimes.

“The state governments that have been the major financiers of the Federal Government’s security agencies in their states should draw a line and concentrate more on providing equipment and gadget for surveillance for Amotekun, over which they have complete control.