Governor Aminu Masari has urged Katsina State citizens resident in areas prone to activities of bandits to acquire weapons and defend themselves.

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 the families of 10 people that 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 the 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.

“Government is perusing all the necessary legal steps to seek redress for the families of the deceased as well as those who sustained various degrees of injuries.

“Legal experts have already been consulted to advise on the way forward to ensure speedy (legal) resolution of the matter,” he said.

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The governor cautioned the families of the victims not to succumb to any covert enticement from the NSC.

“Doing so will compromise and jeopardise the government’s efforts to secure justice for the bereaved and injured.

“What customs operatives are doing in the state is wrong, and unacceptable.

“Do not succumb to any covert enticement from the customs service, no matter what they offer or promise to do for you.

“Whatever they want to do for you, let it be in the open, not in secret.

“If you accept any secret offer, then you will be truncating government’s efforts to seek justice for you; but if you resist any untoward move, the organisation will then have to rethink its attitude towards its host community,” Masari added.

NAN recalls that NSC crushed 10 persons to death through reckless driving while pursuing smugglers in Jibia border in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State recently.