Katsina State governor Aminu Masari has said that it is irresponsible for citizens to expect the police or military to protect them against bandits, charging Nigerians to take the security of their life and property into their hands. 

Mr Masari made this statement at the inauguration of Katsina Security Operations and Communication Control Centre at Katsina police headquarter on Friday.

In a video shared by Channels TV, the governor said security is the responsibility of citizens and Nigerians should not depend on calling the police to rescue them from, or defend their homesteads against bandits. 

“Security is our responsibility,” the Governor said.

“Why are we surrendering our responsibility to some people? I cannot see how more committed a police officer or military officer can be more than anyone of you,” Mr Masari said. 

“Why should I sit in my village and be only making telephone calls without doing nothing? “Every bandit, every criminal has an address, has a location, and they are human beings like us,” he added. 

Though Mr Masari admitted that bandits are armed while citizens are not, he further said that it is “ridiculous” for citizens to vacate their farms and villages out of fear of bandits.

“The only difference is that they have taken arms against us; does it mean we have nothing to take against them?” Do we mean we should vacate all our villages, all our farms, all our houses, and surrender them to bandits, and wait for police officer Emeka all the way from Enugu to come to Katsina and rescue me? This is ridiculous,” Mr Masari said. 

“I think part of what this Katsina initiative needs to do is to go round all these local governments, let us talk to the people, defend yourselves,” he added. 

Mr Masari appears to echo the prevailing sentiment among top officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress who have been deflecting the overwhelming responsibilities of security to hapless Nigerians.

In February, defence minister Bashir Magashi berated Nigerians for running away from their communities due to “minor shootings” by bandits.

“I don’t know why people are running from minor things like that. They should stand and let these people know that even the villagers have the competency and capability to defend themselves,” Mr Magashi had said.

Nonetheless, Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

Governors of opposition Peoples Democratic Party in northern states of Taraba and Benue have however called for the liberalisation of arms ownership in the wake of ceaseless attacks in their domains.

They argued that citizens should be allowed to own fatal weapons to defend themselves against the marauders.