Allow Us To Carry Arms, Zamfara Monarchs Appeal To Government

Traditional rulers in Zamfara have appealed to the government to grant them permission to carry guns to fight bandits tormenting their domains.
The Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs and Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, made the call today, Tuesday in Gusau at an event to hand over operational motorcycles to members of the recently established Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in the state.
Over 8,000 members of the civilian JTF 8,500 who were recently hired by the government received a motorcycle each to assist them in the fight against organized crimes in the state.
“This is one of the best ways we can all join hands to fight these hoodlums causing us sleepless nights in the state while their sponsors live in the luxury of the blood of the people in neighbouring towns and cities.
“The only power these bandits have over us is that they carry AK 47 rifles while we have nothing except perhaps sometime when we carry sticks in self-defence and one cannot use that against guns.“Apart from the traditional rulers, many of the political office holders and our senior civil servants are traditional title holders and l am confident that if we join hands and with little training, we can be ready to face and defeat the bandits.”
He said that if the government could provide them AK 47 rifles they should also be given pump action guns and the official licence to possess and operate the weapons against the enemy.
He then commended the efforts of the state government and security agencies operating in the state at fighting the bandits and implored members of the civilian JTF not to take laws in their hands.