Katsina state Governor, Aminu Masari, has urged residents of the state in areas prone to activities of bandits to acquire weapons and defend themselves, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported. Masari noted that it is morally wrong for people to submit cheaply to the bandits without any attempt to defend themselves, according to a statement by his media aide, Malam Abdu Labaran.

The governor said this during his visit to Jibia town to condole with families of 10 people who were recently crushed by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) through reckless driving.

According to him, security is everybody’s business, pointing out that it is not the responsibility of the government alone.

“It is the people’s meek submission that emboldens bandits to continue with their heinous activities with murderous frequency. “People must divorce their minds from the mistaken notion that security is government’s sole responsibility alone,” Masari said. Meanwhile, the governor assured that those killed by the Customs operatives would not die in vain.