Don’t be cowards, Defense Minister ask Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits
Nigeria’s The Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), has come under heavy criticism after he said it is the responsibility of every citizen to be at alert amid the rising insecurity in the country.
He said people should show that they are not cowards by defending themselves
Defence Minister of a whole nation telling unarmed citizens with no shame to defend themselves against RPG-armed bandits?
This country is beyond redemption.pic.twitter.com/DakBqWtY3D
— Ayemojubar (@ayemojubar) February 17, 2021
His words, “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.”
Commenting on whether the Nigerian government should permit citizens to carry arms, Magashi said, “Even in the developed countries, they are still debating on it, whether to continue or not.
“But I don’t advise Nigeria to start issuing firearms for personal use.”
The minister’s comment is coming a day after armed bandits kidnap an undisclosed number of teachers and students from a secondary school in Niger state.
