The Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd.) on 17th February, 2020, told journalists that as a form of curbing the insecurity in the country, especially the incessant intimidation by bandits in the northern parts of the country, Nigerians should stand and defend themselves against the armed bandits ravaging their communities.
The Minister told journalist that Nigerians should show the bandits that they are not cowards by defending themselves. He said the bandits sometimes carry out their operations with few rounds of ammunitions to cause fear on the citizenry. “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and to find safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards. At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, when they fire shots everybody runs.
“In our younger days, we stand to fight any aggression coming for us. I don’t know why people are running from minor thinks like that. They should stand and let these people know that even the villagers have the competency and capabilities to defend themselves.”
IMPACT NEWS is shocked that a critical public official and a cabinet minister in charge of security of the country would utter such comment in public. The honourable minister’s comment is reckless, insensitive and lack touch with the reality of the Nigeria’ security system and the challenge posed by the bandits to helpless community.
The Minister of Defence is expected to oversee a proper balance in arms and meet the needs of internal and external security; maintain a mission ready military on land, sea, and air, and enhance the capabilities of the Nigeria’s defence industries to secure lives and properties in the country.
The reckless comment of the Minister has therefore once again exposed the contradiction and idea exhaustion that has enveloped the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. How would a minister of Defence call on all Nigerians to bear arms against non-state actors terrorizing the peace and stability of the country when on May 22, 2019, the President signed an executive order banning all short guns and fire arms certificate licenses in the country. Where the Minister did expects citizens to get the weapons from? Has the president revoked the Executive Order on firearms? It is obvious that the minister and perhaps the handlers of the country’s security architecture are out of touch with realities.
If what the minister said is anything to go by, the current administration has indeed failed the citizens and the honourable thing they can do to salvage the situation is to resign, as it is done in saner climes.
The minister should note that any government that is overwhelmed with security challenges and believes that the best is to charge the citizen to defend themselves is not worth being in custody of power and administration.
The call by the minister for citizen to self-defend is a call for anarchy, a recognition of a government that has succeeded in making the lives of helpless citizens miserable and a revalidation of the failure of the government to secure lives and properties.
