“Buy Guns, Other Weapons to Protect Yourselves,” Islamic Cleric Bello Yabo Urges Nigerians Amid Rising Terrorist Threats

In a passionate address to a congregation in Northern Nigeria, prominent Islamic cleric Muhammad Bello Aliyu Yabo, known as Bello Yabo, has called on citizens to take up arms to protect themselves and their families against the growing threat of terrorism. Yabo’s call to action comes in response to the escalating violence in the region and what he describes as the government’s failure to curb the menace.

Yabo, addressing worshippers, emphasized the necessity of self-defense in the face of increasing terrorist activities. “Those who can afford to buy weapons should do so,” he urged. “If you can produce weapons, go ahead and manufacture them. We cannot stand by and watch criminals invade our homes, abduct our loved ones, and continue to control us with their weapons.”

The cleric’s remarks were partly fueled by the recent murder of Alhaji Isa Muhammad Bawa, the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa District in Sokoto State’s Sabon Birni Local Government Area. The brutal killing, after a failed ransom negotiation, has sent shockwaves through the community.

“The government is arming terrorists,” Yabo claimed. “We must also seek weapons to defend ourselves. Once everyone is armed, we can collectively confront these criminals. They cannot kill us all at once, so why should we allow them to eliminate us one by one?”

Yabo, who hails from Yabo Local Government Area in Sokoto State, has been a vocal critic of the Nigerian government’s handling of insecurity in the North, particularly under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He has consistently criticized the government’s inability to protect citizens in states like Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, and Niger, where terrorist activities have been rampant.

The cleric’s speech comes on the heels of a chilling demand by the terrorists responsible for Bawa’s death. They initially demanded N1 billion in ransom for Bawa and his son, who were kidnapped in July. The demand was later reduced to N60 million and five motorcycles in exchange for Bawa’s body for burial.

Yabo’s call for self-defense marks a significant escalation in public discourse surrounding Nigeria’s ongoing security crisis, reflecting the deepening frustration among citizens in the region.