A member of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Abubakar Muhammad (aka Total), has explained his decision to provide arms to his constituents to confront banditry, saying it was the last option available to them.
Hon. Total, who represents Funtua constituency, said his community has been repeatedly subjected to attacks by bandits who kill and abduct residents at will.
Speaking in a Hausa interview with RFI Hausa monitored by WikkiTimes, the lawmaker lamented that residents are often left at the mercy of the attackers as security operatives usually arrive after the bandits have concluded their operations.
“Without remorse for human life, the bandits kill indiscriminately and abduct at will. Just recently, my people were attacked three times, first at Maska and then twice at Makera village. When I visited Unguwar Shanu, residents told me that by the time security personnel arrived, the bandits had already killed their victims and left,” he said.
He disclosed that community members themselves requested arms, insisting they could no longer rely on stones to defend against the heavily armed gangs.
“They pleaded with me to provide them with weapons to defend themselves. They said if they even had Dane guns, they could have rescued their people. But they had nothing to fight with other than stones,” he added.
The lawmaker said the arms were handed over to trusted local vigilantes, endorsed by their communities, and placed under the supervision of the Community Watch.
“I don’t have any doubt about this. The people we armed with six-bullet guns are vigilantes trained by the Community Watch, and they will operate under its guidance. My people are happy with what I have done, and I will continue to provide more support to ensure they can defend themselves,” he added.
