The Emir of Argungu, Muhammad Samaila Mera, has urged residents of the emirate to lawfully acquire weapons and strengthen community vigilance to protect themselves against persistent bandit attacks.
What happened
The emir spoke during a meeting with district heads, village heads, and ward heads at his palace in Argungu.
He said communities should consider collectively raising funds to purchase legally approved weapons for self-defence.
He argued that visible, lawful defensive capacity could deter attacks if bandits know a community is able to resist.
What the emir said
“If you acquire such weapons legally, make sure the bandits are aware that your community possesses the means to defend itself. This alone can serve as a deterrent and discourage attacks.”
“It is not right for a Muslim to remain passive while criminals kill people, kidnap innocent citizens, and rape our women. Be prepared to defend yourselves, your families, and your communities against any attack.”
He lamented that many communities have become vulnerable because they lack adequate means of self-defence and said some local leaders flee when attacks occur because communities are not equipped to resist.
What he said he was not calling for
The emir stressed that he was not encouraging communities to take the law into their own hands, form unlawful militias, or carry out attacks on other ethnic groups.
He said his appeal was for lawful self-defence within the framework of Nigerian law and in cooperation with security agencies, arguing that the scale of the security challenge has become too large for security forces alone to handle.
He also warned against revenge attacks and extrajudicial killings, saying many current attacks are reprisals and that unlawful killings only fuel further cycles of violence.
Lakurawa claim and local security concerns
The emir alleged that although many members of the Lakurawa group had left the area, armed bandits linked to former collaborators remain active and continue to terrorise communities.
He urged residents across the Argungu Emirate to remain vigilant, cooperate with security agencies, and act within the law.
