The lawmaker representing Funtua Constituency in the Katsina State House of Assembly, Abubakar Mohammed, has confirmed that he purchased firearms for residents of his constituency to help them defend themselves against bandit attacks.
Mohammed revealed that he supplied 50 firearms to volunteer groups in Funtua after residents pleaded for help, following repeated cases of killings and kidnappings by armed bandits.
Speaking to journalists, the lawmaker explained that the weapons were meant strictly for community defense and not for use against one another.
“These firearms that I distributed to the people of Funtua, I did it for them to defend themselves and their communities from the bandits’ attacks,” he said.
He added that the volunteers had been actively guarding rural areas around Funtua, including Dikiya Makira, Maigamji, Tudun Iya Maska, and Goya, which are frequently targeted by bandits.
According to him, when bandits attacked Bagari community, locals could only repel them with stones, resulting in heavy casualties. It was after consoling victims that he decided to provide weapons for self-defense.
“The people begged me to get firearms for them. If I could assist them with firearms, it would help them engage the insurgents to protect and rescue their brothers and sisters,” he explained.
He emphasized that those given access to the firearms are trusted community volunteers who were warned never to misuse them.
This disclosure comes amid rising concerns about insecurity in Katsina and other northern states, where residents have continued to suffer from frequent bandit raids despite government efforts.
