Abuja – Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has opposed recent calls for Nigerians to resort to self-defence in response to growing insecurity across the country, warning that such actions could lead to anarchy.
Namadi made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, where he addressed the controversial remarks made by former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.). Danjuma had recently urged communities in Benue and Plateau States to defend themselves against continued attacks by bandits and armed groups, stating that reliance on government protection is no longer realistic.
Responding to the comments, Governor Namadi acknowledged Danjuma’s experience in security matters but stressed that encouraging citizens to take up arms is not a viable solution.
“He (Danjuma) is a very serious security person, but I think citizens being allowed to defend themselves will cause anarchy,” Namadi said. “The government is doing its best in terms of security architecture and arrangements.”
The governor argued that Nigeria had not yet reached a point where civil self-defence was necessary, emphasizing the importance of alternative conflict resolution strategies. He cited his administration’s handling of farmer-herder conflicts in Jigawa State as an example of a peaceful resolution through dialogue.
“If we allowed the people to defend themselves, that means you’re causing crisis between farmers and herders,” he said. “But when we came in, we deployed strategies including dialogue, and we engaged traditional rulers and stakeholders from both sides.”
According to Namadi, the establishment of a reconciliation committee allowed both communities to rebuild trust and coexist peacefully.
“Now, they are able to work together, interact together and live their normal lives together,” he added.
Namadi reiterated that the federal and state governments are making concerted efforts to address the insecurity challenges, and urged citizens to support peace-building initiatives rather than taking the law into their own hands.
