Fear and frustration have gripped residents of Kebbe Local Government Area in Sokoto State as they demand the right to bear arms for self-defence against the unrelenting onslaught of bandits terrorising their communities.
At a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Sokoto on Saturday, community leaders led by Alhaji Adamu Haruna Kebbe lamented the escalating insecurity that has claimed numerous lives and displaced hundreds.
“We can no longer sleep with our eyes closed,” Haruna declared, his voice tinged with anguish. “Our people are being killed almost daily, and the government has abandoned us to our fate.”
The community head decried what he described as the state’s failure to adequately respond to the deteriorating security situation, stressing that local security volunteers are ill-equipped and overstretched. He called on the Federal Government to allow residents to legally acquire firearms to protect themselves and their families.
Haruna further urged the Federal Government to ensure direct funding to local councils, arguing that such a policy would enable communities to strengthen and sustain local defence efforts.
The plea comes as the Lakurawa bandit group, alongside factions linked to notorious warlord Bello Turji, continues to wreak havoc across Kebbe, Isa, and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas. Many villages have been sacked, with residents fleeing their ancestral homes to seek refuge elsewhere.
“Our people are tired of burying their loved ones,” another community leader said. “If the government cannot protect us, it should allow us to protect ourselves.”
