By Nneka Ibe
A member of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Abubakar Muhammad, has defended his decision to purchase arms for his constituents, citing the escalating wave of bandit attacks across communities in the state.
Muhammad, who represents Funtua Constituency and is popularly known as Total, said he resorted to the measure after witnessing the helplessness of residents who had been forced to confront heavily armed bandits with nothing more than stones and sticks.
Speaking in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), the lawmaker expressed deep concern over the incessant killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence perpetrated by bandits in his constituency.
“The bandits specialise in killing and raping women and girls, while also kidnapping residents for huge ransoms,” Muhammad said. “I was troubled when I heard residents use stones to confront bandits. Their courage moved me, but it also broke me. That was when I decided to help them with arms.”
According to him, the weapons were distributed across six wards in his constituency and placed under the custody of the Community Watch Corps (CWC) to prevent misuse. He added that selected residents were also given training on proper handling of the arms.
“My intention is not to militarise the people,” he explained. “It is to give them a fighting chance until security personnel arrive.”
The disclosure comes amid growing concern over the rising spate of insecurity in Katsina and other North-Western states, where bandits continue to launch deadly raids on rural communities despite ongoing military operations.
