Growing frustration over Nigeria’s worsening security situation has sparked fresh calls for citizens and community security groups to take a more aggressive stance against bandits and kidnappers, as an influential Sokoto-based Islamic cleric and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) separately urged Nigerians to confront criminal elements with force.
The latest appeals come amid persistent attacks by bandits, kidnappers and other armed groups across several parts of the country, raising concerns about the capacity of security agencies to adequately protect lives and property.
In Sokoto, prominent Islamic scholar Murtala Bello Sokoto ignited widespread debate after openly calling on Nigerians to arm themselves for self-defence, accusing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to guarantee the safety of citizens.
Speaking during a religious lecture captured in a viral video, the cleric urged communities facing attacks to stop waiting for government intervention and instead prepare to defend themselves against bandits and terrorists. According to him, citizens should be willing to make sacrifices to secure their lives and properties, even if it means disposing of personal assets to acquire weapons for protection.
Murtala specifically referenced notorious bandit leader Bello Turji and other criminal gangs operating in the North-West, insisting that residents must resist any attempt by armed attackers to invade their communities. The cleric backed his position with references to Islamic teachings, citing Hadiths which state that anyone who dies while defending their life, family, property or faith is regarded as a martyr.
He also condemned what he described as the culture of surrendering to bandits, arguing that no community should be forced to hand over its wealth, daughters or dignity to criminal groups operating from forest hideouts.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on governors in the South-West to urgently strengthen local security structures by recruiting more personnel and providing arms and logistical support to community-based security organisations.
In a statement issued yesterday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Is’haq Akintola, urged state governments to empower the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, as well as local vigilante groups such as the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and Iru Ekun, to serve as frontline responders against insecurity.
The group argued that criminal gangs were becoming increasingly emboldened and warned that authorities must act swiftly before banditry and kidnapping become more deeply entrenched in the region.
MURIC’s position follows recent security breaches in the South-West, including the reported abduction of about 39 students and seven teachers from three schools in communities within Oriire local government area of Oyo State.
Akintola said community security organisations possess valuable local intelligence and should be equipped to complement conventional security agencies in combating criminal activities.
“MURIC advises South-West governments to prepare vigilante groups as first responders. Groups like the Oduduwa Peoples Congress (OPC) and Iru Ekun should be empowered in order to halt the advance of bandits”, he stated.
The Islamic advocacy group further called on Yoruba Muslims to draw inspiration from Qur’anic teachings in confronting insecurity, while also encouraging Yoruba Christians to adopt a similar determination in resisting criminal elements. According to MURIC, bandits often thrive when communities flee from confrontation, stressing that coordinated resistance would serve as a deterrent to violent groups.
“We must therefore meet their force with force, bullet for bullet, stratagem for stratagem. There must be a balance of terror if we are going to succeed in stopping these hoodlums”, the organisation declared.
