‘I no fit wait to own my first gun’

Pesin dey hold gun take protect im cows

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“As I dey tok to you now, I don begin save money bicos e don tey wey I bin wan get my own gun and now goment don give me di right.”

Muhammadu Muttaka tok dis one as e dey react to Zamfara state goment decision wey wan allow residents to buy and own gun to defend demsef against bandit attack.

On Saturday, 25 June, di state goment do special announcement wey call on di residents to collect licence from police and buy guns as banditry and kidnapping kontinu to trouble di northwest state.

Muttaka wey be trader for Gusau, di capital tell BBC Pidgin say as e be now, e get places wey e no fit travel to bicos of fear but e belive say if e get gun, e go fit travel.

“As I dey tok to you I go like travel go oda states like Katsina and Kano but e no dey possible as I dey fear for my safety.”

Im say wetin happun to im neighbour na serious motivation to own gun.

“Di bandits come im house and destroy tins before dem kidnap.” Muttaka tok say e belive say if dem bin get gun, at least dem go get chance to fight back.

Based on choice, Muttaka say na AK-47 e go like buy bicos e dey see how powerful di gun be for movies.

“Anoda tin be say apart from di licence, I go wan police to give me training on how to handle and hide di weapon.”

‘Ownership of gun fit lead to lawlessness’

No be evribodi share di view of Muttaka on di mata, Surajo Kalos na pesin wey believe say if dem allow pipo to own guns e fit lead to lawlessness.

“Imagine say me and my neighbour get beef I fit use di chance say I get gun to do somtin bad.

“My belive be say na wrong move from di goment.”

Yusuf Ibrahim also agree wit wetin Kalos tok and add say goment just dey try run away from dia responsibility to protect di pipo.

Guns return by bandits

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Some guns wey repentant bandits return to goment

Why Zamfara state wan allow residents get gun

Zamfara govnor Bello Matawalle bin sign controversial peace deal wit to stop violence between bandits and vigilante groups

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Govnor of Zamfara state Bello Matawalle

Di reason for di special announcement wey di commissioner of information for Zamfara state say di state dey suffer from insecurity for many years now and di numba of pipo wey dem dey kill and kidnap dey kontinu to rise each week.

Oga Dosara also add say di state dey prepare to launch one new center wey go handle informate about banditry.

Zamfara state goment also say dem go employ extra 200 community protection guards across di 19 emirates of di state to add to di numba wey dey currently work.

Dem also ban markets for some areas of di state and order security operatives to shoot anibodi wey dem see ontop motorbikes for doz banned areas.

Wetin Zamfara goment tok about gun ownership procedure

According to information wey di goment release, any individual wey wan obtain gun to defend diasef go first apply to di commissioner of police.

Di police go carry out background check and oda necessary findings to confam weda di pesin deserve to own weapon.

If di pesin pass di screening, police go now give am licence to own gun.

Wetin Nigeria law tok about ownership of guns

Barrister Wada Wada wey be legal expert for Nigeria, tok say di pronouncement wey Zamfara goment make, dey clash wit di kontri constitution bicos na di goment work to protect and save lives and property of citizens.

According to di lawyer, wetin di state goment dey show be say dem don fail in dia responsibility.

“Nigerian constitution tok say na goment go protect lives and property of pipo, so to ask civilians to arm demsef dey show say goment don fail.”

Ali Galadima wey be retired soldier and fight two wars during im time wit di military and e tell BBC Pidgin say di move to allow citizens own guns go backfire sharp sharp.

“Na very bad move and e go show you say di world no dey alright for now. Na goment work to protect pipo and dat one no suppose change.”

Galadima say e beta make goment change dia mind on di mata. 

Zamfara state battle wit insecurity

Zamfara state

BBC

For ova 10 years, Zamfara state neva enjoy kontinos peace as banditry and kidnapping dey trouble di northwest state.

Di problem really start around 2011 during administration of Govnor Abdulaziz Yari but as Nigeria dey also face heavy wahala from Boko Haram around dat time, no major security focus no reach dat side.

And some analysts say na wetin make di problem come bad as be.

Major attacks wey happun for Zamfara

8 February, 2022: Several pipo die afta bandits attack Hayin Dan Maciji village.

One mother from di village tell BBC at di time say she still neva see her five children afta di attack.

12 September, 2018: Gunmen kill at least 13 pipo and injure more than 20 odas for one attack inside Tsafe town.

Mukhtar Abubakar Badarawa wey bin dey receive treatment from im hospital bed at di time say di attack happun for one tea seller wey get TV for im joint so pipo dey come there take tea, chat and watch films.

8 June, 2021: Gunmen kidnap about 60 women from some villages for Zamfara state. House of reps member for di area, Hon. Ahmed Danfulani, bin tell BBC say, di raid on di villages happun  wia di gunmen also kill four pipo and burn down villages.

Any end dey to dis problem?

Pipo across Nigeria dey wait for peace to return to northern Nigeria.

Di decade long problem don cause serious wahala from closure of schools sake of kidnappings to poor economic activities for many areas.

Sani Shehu wey be social commentator tell BBC Pidgin say di federal goment must step up for dis problem to end.

“At di moment wetin di goment dey do no dey enuf and di proof na say bandit attacks still dey happun.”