The Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Samaila Mera, has called on his subjects to legally acquire weapons to protect their communities against persistent attacks by bandits.
He also urged communities in the emirate to remain vigilant and take proactive measures against terrorists and criminal elements that often invade the areas.
The monarch made the call during a meeting with district heads, village heads, and ward heads at his palace in Argungu.
The monarch added that communities should consider raising funds collectively to purchase legally approved 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.
He stressed that Islam does not encourage people to remain helpless in the face of violence.
“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.
The royal father lamented that many communities had become vulnerable because they lack the means to defend themselves.
“When bandits attack, people start running, including village heads. This is happening because communities do not have adequate means of self-defence,” he said.
He clarified that he was not encouraging communities to take the law into their own hands or engage in acts of terrorism, but rather advocating lawful self-defence, noting that the security challenge has become too overwhelming for security agencies alone to handle.
He said it was disheartening for communities to continue to lose lives without any form of resistance, while warning against ethnic violence and extrajudicial killings.
The emir warned that he would not support anyone carrying arms to attack other ethnic groups or engage in unlawful killings.
He said many of the attacks are reprisals, he therefore urged the communities not to carry out revenge attacks against innocent people because every unlawful killing only breeds another cycle of revenge.
The emir said that, although many members of the Lakurawa group had left the area, they had allegedly left behind armed bandits who continue to terrorize communities and maintain links with their former collaborators.
He called on communities across the Argungu Emirate to remain vigilant, cooperate with security agencies, and uphold the fear of God in all their dealings.