Defence minister asks Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits

The Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd.), says it is the responsibility of every citizen to be alert and defend themselves against bandits terrorising their communities.

The minister said this while addressing journalists in a video that surfaced on social media on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

While urging Nigerians not to be cowards, Magashi said bandits sometimes attack their victims with a few rounds of ammunition.

He said, “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and to find safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards.

“At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, when they fire shots everybody runs. In our younger days, we stand to fight any aggression coming for us.

“I don’t know why people are running from minor things like that. They should stand and let these people know that even the villagers have the competency and capabilities to defend themselves.

“Our own duty is to ensure that no Nigerian is hurt, and we are capable of protecting the integrity of this nation and we’ll continue to do it even though we are so stretched.”

When asked if the federal government should allow citizens to carry firearms, the minister said, “Even in the developed countries, they are still debating on it, whether to continue or not,” adding that he won’t advise Nigeria to permit firearms for personal use.