The Emir of Argungu, Muhammad Samaila Mera, has urged residents of his emirate to legally obtain firearms and other approved weapons to protect their communities from recurring bandit attacks.
The traditional ruler also called on communities to stay alert and adopt proactive measures against terrorists and other criminal groups operating in the area.
He made the remarks during a meeting with district, village and ward heads at his palace in Argungu, where he encouraged communities to pool resources to acquire legally authorised weapons for self defence.
“If you acquire such weapons legally, make sure the bandits are aware that your community possesses the means to defend itself. This alone can serve as a deterrent and discourage attacks,” he said.
The emir maintained that Islam does not support passivity in the face of violent attacks.
“It is not right for a Muslim to remain passive while criminals kill people, kidnap innocent citizens, and rape our women. Be prepared to defend yourselves, your families, and your communities against any attack,” the Emir stated.
He expressed concern that many communities remain exposed to attacks because they lack adequate means of defending themselves.
He said, “When bandits attack, people start running, including village heads. This is happening because communities do not have adequate means of self-defence.”
Mera clarified that he was not advocating lawlessness or encouraging residents to engage in terrorism, but was promoting lawful self defence, arguing that the scale of the security crisis has become too much for security agencies to tackle alone.
The monarch described it as unfortunate that communities continue to suffer casualties without resistance, while cautioning against ethnic violence and extrajudicial actions.
He stressed that he would not support anyone using weapons to target other ethnic groups or carry out unlawful killings.
According to him, many attacks are retaliatory in nature, and communities should avoid revenge attacks on innocent people, warning that unlawful killings only perpetuate further violence.
The emir further alleged that although many members of the Lakurawa group had left the area, they had left behind armed bandits who continue to terrorise communities and maintain ties with former associates.
He urged residents across the Argungu Emirate to remain vigilant, work closely with security agencies and uphold the fear of God in their daily activities.
