Amid rising concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has firmly opposed calls for citizens to arm themselves in self-defence, warning that such actions could plunge the country into deeper anarchy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent remarks by former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), who had urged communities in Benue and Plateau states to protect themselves in the absence of adequate state security. Danjuma argued that waiting on government protection had become untenable.
However, Governor Namadi disagreed, asserting that resorting to self-defence would aggravate the crisis. “He [Danjuma] is a serious security person, but I think citizens being allowed to defend themselves will cause anarchy,” Namadi said. “The government is doing its best with the current security architecture and arrangements.”
Namadi cited his own approach to the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a model of peaceful conflict resolution. Rather than encouraging residents to take up arms, he initiated dialogue among stakeholders including traditional rulers, herders, and farmers leading to a locally driven reconciliation effort.
“What we did in Jigawa, if we had allowed people to defend themselves, that would have sparked crisis,” he explained. “Instead, we used multiple strategies, including engaging traditional rulers and stakeholders from both sides.”
The governor noted that the formation of a conflict resolution committee helped rebuild trust and ensure peaceful coexistence among aggrieved groups. “Now, they are able to work together, interact together, and live their normal lives,” he said.
Governor Namadi emphasized that the responsibility for security remains with the government and maintained that the current situation, while dire, had not yet reached the threshold that would justify civilian self-defence.
“The issue of asking people to defend themselves I think we have not reached that level yet,” he concluded.
