An Islamic group, Muslim Media Watch Group, Monday, asked the governor of Zamfara state, Senator Bello Muttawalle to rescind on his order that residents of the state should bear arms to defend themselves against the bandits.
The governor had on Sunday ordered citizens of the state to acquire guns to defend themselves following the insecurity problems in the state.
But the group in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the order could lead to anarchy, adding that what it will cause would be greater than the problem it wants to solve.
“The Nation wake-up yesterday (Sunday) to learn of Governor Bello Muttawalle’s order to Zamfara State citizens to acquire guns to defend themselves following the insecurity problems in the State.
“The Media Watch Group described the order as unlawful as it could lead to anarchy, adding that what that order cause would be greater than the problem it wants to solve. It says that arms and ammunition are not like pencils and biros school children purchase for literary activities”, the group said.
While sympathising with the governor and Zamfara State indigenes over recurring insecurity problems facing them, the group said what the governor should have done was to repeat his visit to the Inspector-General of Police and Chief of Army Staff with a view of asking them to review upwards their strategy in securing the State.
The group said: “In fact, in an attempt to secure the state, Governor Mutawalle is already running foul of the law instead of protecting the sanctity of our laws”, and called on him to reverse the order immediately to prevent more harms to the people.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy more Security Forces to Kaduna, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto and Benue State as well as Abuja (FCT) considering negative security reports emanating from the states mentioned and Abuja”, it said.
The group also called for the dissolution of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the reconstitution of a new one if the current one is failing to meet the nation’s need on manpower, training and re-training of police personnel as low level of police manpower is contributing heavily to the present insecurity situation in Nigeria.
