Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has again called on the people in the areas prone to the activities of bandits to adequately arm themselves and take necessary measures to defend themselves against the bandits.
Masari said this in Jibiya town when he paid a condolence visit to the 10 families of those killed and the 20 others who sustained injuries, following the accident involving the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service.
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He said it was morally wrong for people to submit meekly to the bandits without any attempt to defend themselves.
While saying that security is everybody’s business, Masari said it is the people’s weak submission that encourages the bandits to continue with their heinous activities with murderous frequency.
He hinted that people must now disabuse their minds from the mistaken notion that security is the government’s sole responsibility.
He assured the people of Jibiya that the government is taking all the necessary legal steps to seek redress for the families of the deceased as well as those who sustained injuries.
Masari noted that legal experts have already been consulted to advise on the way forward, to ensure speedy legal resolution of the matter.
The Governor also called for caution on the part of the Customs, especially for people living in the border communities or villages, saying they have not committed any crime finding themselves there.
Masari, however, cautioned the families of the victims not to bend to any enticement from the Nigeria Customs Service, saying that doing so, will compromise and jeopardize the government’s efforts to secure justice for the bereaved and the injured.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
