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From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Chairman, House Committee on Navy and member representing Pankshin Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Yusuf Gagdi, has called on the National Assembly to enact laws that will permit Nigerians to bear arms for self-defence.
Gagdi disclosed this in a chat with journalists on Friday, shortly after he visited some communities in Kanam and Wase Local Government Areas that were attacked by bandits and claimed over a hundred lives.
It could be recalled that gunmen suspected to be bandits last Sunday stormed some communities in Kanam and Wase and killed 106 persons, injured scores and razed many houses.
According to Gagdi, legalising the bearing of arms bearing would go a long way toward addressing the spate of attacks and killings in communities.
He said stiffer measures must be put in place to regulate the use of arms by citizens.
‘If we want to curtail the spate of attacks in communities, we should make laws that will permit citizens to carry arms.
‘If for instance, those who attacked my people know that the locals also have arms, they won’t come, and even they do, the casualty will not be this high.
‘But there must be regulation on the use of the arms; anyone who misuses it should be imprisoned or even sentenced to death by hanging.
‘But I tell you, if citizens are allowed to carry these arms to protect themselves, all these attacks and killings will end,’ he said.
Gagdi called on security agencies to always work on intelligence reports at their disposals to avert incidences that could lead to security breaches.
He maintained that the attacks in his constituency could have been avoided if the security agencies acted on the intelligence report at their disposal
He lauded the military for the prompt response and deployment of personnel to the affected communities.
