Governor Aminu Masari says President Muhammadu Buhari’s relatives and other Katsina residents will become Muslim martyrs if they die fighting against bandits terrorising the state as he urged them to get guns and other lethal weapons.

Katsina is Mr Buhari’s home state.

“It’s Islamically allowed for one to defend himself against attack. One must rise to defend himself, his family and assets. If you die while trying to defend yourself, you’ll be considered a martyr,” Mr Masari asserted.

The Katsina governor said he was ready to support Katsina people who could make lethal weapons available for use against the marauding bandits.

He stated this at a media parley held in Katsina on Tuesday.

“We’ll support those who come with the initiative to procure arms because residents need to also complement the efforts of security agencies,” Mr Masari added. “It’s surprising how a bandit would own a gun while a good man trying to defend himself and his family doesn’t have one.”

He insisted that the country did not have enough policemen and soldiers to protect lives.

“Count it yourself, how many policemen do we have in this country? How many soldiers do we have? Even if we say every policeman should go back to his home state, it’ll still not be enough,” he explained. “So, if we fold arms and decide to do nothing, we’ll be the ones to suffer most.”

Apart from Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara are also battling bandits’ violent attacks.