The position of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed on armed Fulani herdsmen has aroused reactions from different regions across Nigeria.
According to the Governor, Fulani herdsmen carry AK-47 for self-defence due to the insecurity in the nation as they are being attacked by cattle rustlers.
Reacting, a Legal Practitioner and Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Osogbo Branch Abdul-Rahman Okunade, in an interview with our correspondent said that with Mohammed’s position, all traders across the country should be licensed to carry arms.
He said, “Some sections of Nigeria have been seeking permission for everyone to be licensed to carry gun. If it is made general, then it is fine and there won’t be argument. We shouldn’t have privileged citizens given the permission to carry arms because of their trade as it will expose the rest of the citizens to danger.
Okunade said that if herders carry arms because of the insecurity in the country, “it is a statement of failure coming from the governor and composition of Nigeria as a country and the way we are governed, the state governor is the chief security officer of the state.
“If a governor is saying that in order for a section of a country to be well protected, they should be permitted to carry their own gun, what then is the place of the police, the military? Does it mean that he is passing a vote of no confidence on them?
“Some states already have their local security agencies, are we saying they are not fit for the task. We have Amotekun in the South West properly put in place by the law, northern states have theirs as well. Saying certain citizens can carry the gun and not all, killing people allegedly, raping women, and committing other atrocities. If you want to go that way, give all of us the license to carry arms then it would be a matter of survival of the fittest,” the legal practitioner said.
Also speaking, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Osun, Sam Segun-Progress said he is disappointed at the statement of Governor Mohammed who is a PDP governor.
He however said that Mohammed is not hypocritical like other northerners even though his statement is condemnable, “people have lied telling us that herders don’t carry guns but this man told us the plain truth.”
He continued, “If you carry gun to protect yourself then I will carry gun to protect myself as well. What he said is obviously detrimental to the unity of the nation.
“He has been a senator and a minister; he is now a governor and might be aspiring to become President. He just showed us some of the signs Buhari showed and I don’t think people would be stupid to want to support him. Just like Buhari, he has never changed, he has always been tribalistic. Nepotism has been his way of life.
“As a Nigerian, if I have the power, I will arm the man growing food in the farm, arm the man selling chicken, your cow is not more important than my rice. You want to protect your cow, I want to protect my rice.
“I’m disappointed because he is someone I love and respect. I’m disappointed this is coming from a PDP governor because PDP members are known as liberal people. This could be because he went to APC at a point, maybe he learnt it from there. What he said has divided us more even though he was been sincere.
“You will recall that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde did not back Sunday Igboho’s action because leadership does not permit that you should allow any illegal means to correct things. That’s leadership even though he was criticised by his people, Bala Mohammed has not shown leadership,” said the PDP bigwig.
