An influential traditional ruler in northwestern Nigeria’s Kebbi state on Friday urged residents to pool funds and buy weapons to defend themselves against attacks by criminal gangs.
Parts of Kebbi State have seen sporadic attacks from jihadists and criminal gangs in recent years, with analysts blaming the Lakurawa jihadist group for some of the deadly violence.
The non-ideological gangs of criminals, known locally as bandits, kidnap travellers on highways, raid villages, abduct residents and loot homes before burning them.
The emergence of Lakurawa, aligned with jihadists in the wider Sahel, has worsened violence in the region.
In a five-minute online video seen by AFP, Samaila Muhammad Mera, the emir of Argungu, urged dozens of local chiefs in his territory to procure arms to defend their communities.
“The government is overwhelmed, you should use the weapons to protect your homes and property from attacks,” Mera said at the meeting.
While Nigeria’s
This post was originally published on this site.
