Katsina State governor Aminu Masari has charged citizens to pray for God’s intervention and purchase guns to defend themselves against bandits.

The governor made this call on Tuesday when he paid a condolence visit to families of 10 persons killed by a vehicle belonging to the Nigerian Customs Service.

“We must intensify prayers with clean minds to seek God’s forgiveness and intervention.

“We must all rise up to counter the insecurity challenge, we must not sit and watch some people buying guns attacking our houses, we too should buy the guns and protect ourselves,” Mr Masari said.

Nigerian law prohibits illegal possession of arms and munitions.

Before now, Mr Masari had said, 10 out of 34 local governments in Katsina, President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state, have been under the control of armed bandits.

In July, Mr Masari charged armless citizens to deploy their teeth in self-defence against armed bandits, urging them not to be cowards or wait for the government to protect them.