The Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), has urged Nigerians to prove that they are not cowards by defending themselves.
Speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the screening of Service Chiefs by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Magashi described those who abducted staff and students of a secondary school in Kagara community in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, as cowards.
According to him: “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and to find safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards.
“At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, 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. They should stand and let these people know that even the villagers have the competency and capabilities to defend themselves.
The Minister also dismissed the clamour for Nigerians to be allowed to bear arms to defend themselves.
“It is an issue currently even in developed countries. They are still debating on whether to continue (to allow people to bear arms or stop. But I don’t advice Nigerians to bear firearms for internal use,” he added.
