Africa-Press – Nigeria. A coalition of youth groups in Plateau State, “Concerned Plateau Youths”, CPY, have called on security agencies to allow youths in communities prone to attacks by bandits and Fulani militias, to carry weapons so as to enable them protect their lands.
The coalition, which made the appeal during a press parley in Jos on Sunday, said if the youths were allowed to carry weapons, incidents of violent attacks and invasions of the communities would be reduced drastically.
Coordinator of the CPY, Gershon Auta, who addressed the press conference, said as law abiding citizens, the youths do not want to take the laws into their hands, hence the humble request they have made to the security agencies.
“Youths in Plateau State are not cowards and we are not afraid to confront the Fulani militias and bandits who take delight in attacking our rural communities, kill our people, sack communities and take over our lands,” Auta said.
He stated that contrary to misconceptions that Plateau youths are docile and afraid of confronting the attackers, the youths in every local community have what it takes to defend their land and people, but do not want to run foul of the laws.
“We know that in the Nigerian law, it is a crime to have illegal weapons as you have to register them, but as it stands, efforts we have made to procure the arms legally have been made with resistance by the authorities.
“And that makes us wonder how the militias and herdsmen get the sophisticated weapons they use whenever they invade our communities.
“How do they get these weapons? Are their own procured legally or illegally? And why are our youths always denied the opportunity to acquire the same weapons to defend our lands?
“And if we manage to lay hold of one or two local guns to ward off the assailants, soldiers and police would swoop on us and arrest us for possessing illegal weapons.”
Auta narrated an incident in Bokkos local government area where some youths contributed money to buy some locally made guns which they used to fight off some invaders, but the following day, soldiers came from Jos and arrested some youths and branded them criminals and armed robbers.
“In such a situation, what can we do? Our hands are tied. Just imagine a situation where our people who are at the receiving end of the violent attacks are arrested and tagged criminals? As we speak, some of those innocent boys who were arrested are still missing. There are fears that some of them have been killed.
“One of our demand is that the youths who were arrested should be released immediately or be charged to court,” Auta said.
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