Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari has become the latest exponent of the self-help doctrine. He has called on residents of areas prone to banditry in his state to acquire weapons and defend themselves against the outlaws. According to him, it is morally wrong for people to submit meekly to the bandits without any attempt to defend themselves because security is everybody’s business.

Speaking last Tuesday in Jibia when he visited to condole with families of 10 persons crushed to death by a Nigerian Customs Service vehicle, the governor said it was the people’s meek submission that had emboldened bandits to continue with their heinous acts with murderous frequency, and people must purge their minds of the mistaken notion that security is government’s sole responsibility. While noting that prayers are important, he argued that self-help also has its place: “We must intensify prayers with clean minds to seek God’s forgiveness and intervention. We must all rise up to counter the insecurity challenge, we must not sit and watch some people buying guns attacking our houses, we too should buy guns and protect ourselves,” he said. Earlier, Masari told Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant-Gen. Faruk Yahaya that Katsina was under siege by bandits and kidnappers, a situation that has left 10 out of the 34 council areas vulnerable.

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With his call last week, the Katsina governor joined the league of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom who had serially canvassed that Benue people defend themselves against herdsmen militias killing residents across the state’s communities. At least twice last May, Ortom asked the people to acquire weapons not prohibited by law to defend themselves. “Rise up and defend yourselves with weapons not prohibited by law: bows and arrows, spears and knives. Get a licence for Dane guns from local government chairmen and use them to defend yourselves,” he said at an inter-denominational church service held at the Government House in Makurdi. “Our people have had enough of these killings and they should rise to defend themselves against any external attack. We need to live,” he said at another event in Adoka, Otukpo council area of the state.

Before you rule the doctrine utterly rouge, its proponents include Defence Minister Major-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd.), who last February was reported saying Nigerians should show they aren’t cowards by defending themselves against bandits. “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and find safety when necessary. We shouldn’t be cowards. At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, and when they fire shots, everybody runs. In our younger days, we stand to fight any aggression coming for us. I don’t know why people are running from minor things like that,” he told journalists.

Self-defence is a rule of the jungle necessitated by absence of state protection. When leading government figures espouse the option, they impliedly admit the failure of government.