Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has queried citizens for depending on security operatives to protect them from bandits and killer Fulani herdsmen.
The governor made this statement at the inauguration of Katsina Security Operations and Communication Control Centre at Katsina police headquarter on Friday.
According to Masari, it is irresponsible for citizens to expect the police or military to protect them against bandits.
The governor urged Nigerians to take the security of their life and property into their hands.
“Security is our responsibility. 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,” 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.”
While admitting that bandits are armed while citizens are not, the Katsina governor said that it is “ridiculous” for citizens to vacate their farms and villages out of fear of bandits.
Masari said: “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.
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.”
