Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has advocated community-based policing and firearms training as part of efforts to tackle banditry and insecurity in rural Nigeria.
According to a Trust TV interview aired on Friday, June 26, 2026, Ndume argued that bandits continue to attack villages because residents are largely defenceless. He said security discussions often focus on legislation and institutional reforms while overlooking the need to equip and train local communities to protect themselves.
Citing Egypt as an example, Ndume said, “In every family, there is somebody that can handle an AK-47. So if there is a threat, all you need to do is run to the army armoury and issue out AK-47 to the youth to defend there.”
He also pointed to the Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno State as an example of how community participation has helped counter Boko Haram, arguing that armed, trained residents would discourage attacks by bandits.
Ndume further called for the establishment of local police under local government chairmen, saying a grassroots security structure would provide a faster and more effective response to threats than the current centralised policing system.
