Residents in Zamfara state have been told to arm themselves in case of bandits.

The instruction was given in a statement on Saturday by Ibrahim Dosara, the state’s information commissioner in Gusau.

One of Nigeria’s most severely affected states by banditry has been Zamfara.

The state government responded to the security issue by stating that it is “ready to facilitate people, especially our farmers, to get basic weapons for self-defense.”

Additionally, it instructed the police command to grant licenses for firearms to anyone who meets the requirements and wants to get a gun for self-defense.

In order to increase security throughout the state, the Zamfara administration also mandated the hiring of 200 extra community protection guards in each of the 19 emirates.