Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has dismissed suggestions that Nigerians should take up arms to defend themselves amid rising insecurity, saying the country “has not reached that level yet.”
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Governor Namadi warned that encouraging citizens to defend themselves against bandits could lead to widespread chaos and worsen the current situation.
His remarks were in response to a recent statement by former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), who urged communities affected by banditry and terrorism—especially in Benue and Plateau States—to take their safety into their own hands due to the government’s failure to protect them. Danjuma’s comments sparked mixed reactions across the country.
While acknowledging Danjuma’s experience, Namadi said, “He is a very serious security person, but I think allowing citizens to defend themselves will cause anarchy. The government is doing its best in terms of security.”
He shared how Jigawa State has handled conflicts, particularly between farmers and herders, without resorting to violence. “When we came in, we used different strategies—dialogue, engaging traditional rulers and stakeholders. We set up a committee to bring everyone together,” Namadi explained.
According to him, these efforts have helped restore peace and build cooperation between communities.
Governor Namadi emphasized that both federal and state governments are working hard to address security challenges and insisted that resorting to self-defense is not the solution at this stage.
“We have not reached that level yet,” he said.