Plateau youths have urged security agencies to allow them bear arms legally, saying they are tired of being defenceless against bandits and militias.
A coalition of youth groups in Plateau State has appealed to security agencies to allow community youths in conflict-prone areas to carry weapons to defend themselves against bandits and suspected Fulani militias.
Speaking in Jos on Sunday, Coordinator of the Concerned Plateau Youths (CPY), Gershon Auta, said the request was borne out of the need to protect lives and lands without breaking the law. “Youths in Plateau State are not cowards and we are not afraid to confront the Fulani militias and bandits who… sack communities and take over our lands,” he said.
Auta argued that while militias acquire sophisticated weapons unchecked, Plateau youths are criminalised for attempting to legally arm themselves. He cited an incident in Bokkos LGA where soldiers allegedly arrested locals who had bought homemade guns to repel attackers.
He demanded the release of those arrested, insisting that the current situation leaves communities defenceless. “Our hands are tied… as we speak, some of those innocent boys are still missing,” he lamented.
The group maintained that arming local youths would drastically reduce violent invasions in Plateau communities.