Done Deal: Borno residents carry dane guns for self-protection

An eye for an eye, is one of the famous laws of Moses.

The incessant attacks by the Boko Haram and the capture of Damboa, Gwoza and recently Ngamboru Ngala and Bank area by the insurgents has prompted residents of Maiduguri to now carry locally-made guns freely to protect themselves, reports from Tribune says.

Maiduguri, the hot bed of the insurgency, was once a peaceful city, but it is now a different ball game altogether, as youths were seen openly displaying locally-made firearms. It was also gathered that the creation of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), a vigilante group, comprising of young men, who volunteered to protect communities, had further compounded the matter, as they were are seen all over the city, carrying locally-made guns. Being wary of the imminently explosive situation of things and the need to protect their lives, they argued that it had become necessary to be fully armed at all times. According to them, the Boko Haram members were too deadly to be taken for granted.

A community leader, Mohammed Ali, who was also seen also carrying gun told Tribune that it became necessary given the situation the people found themselves. When asked how he got his gun, he said “we reached an agreement to purchase these guns and we ordered for them from Damboa. I bought this gun for N8,000. “The government promised to provide each of us with one, but we have to undergo screening before they make the final selection to ascertain those of us with unquestionable character to give it to,” he explained. Reports suggested that the brave young men had been able to maintain peace and normalcy within the city of Maiduguri for sometime now.