Maj. General Bashir Salihi Magashi, Nigeria’s defence minister has come under fussilade after his gaffe that Nigerians should defend themselves when attacked by bandits.
He was speaking today following reports that 42 people, including 27 students were kidnapped by gunmen in Kagara, Niger State.
In a trending video, Magashi said it is not the sole responsibility of the military to fight bandits.
He said it is the responsibility of all
He wondered why Nigerians run scared after bandits or terrorists release some staccato of gun shots in the air.
“We should not be cowards. We should stand back and fight”, he said.
“At times the bandits will come with three rounds of ammunition. When they fire shots in the air, everybody will run.
“In our younger days, we tried to fight any aggressor.
I don’t know why people are running away from minor things like that. They should stand and fight.
And let these people know that even the villagers have the capacity to defend themselves”.
Some Nigerians were so annoyed by Magashi’s statement that they called for his resignation, as he has proven a failure in his duty as defence minister.
Here are some reactions by Nigerians:
