The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has countered the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who had claimed that Nigerians should not be allowed to carry arms despite the rising attacks and killings in the country.
The MBF said that the directive from COAS was not in the overall interest of the people, stressing that it is time for Nigerians to carry higher grades of arms to defend themselves.
The National President of the MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, in a statement issued on Monday, insisted that any order restraining Nigerians from carrying some form of arms to defend themselves while marauders move about with sophisticated weapons with which they kill Nigerians with impunity, will amount to a conspiracy against the people.
According to Pogu, there should be a rethink of that statement since the security agencies had not been able to adequately protect Nigerians from the marauders.