Nigerian “Vigilantes” Kill Islamic Militants. With Guns!

By Robert Farago

Ever since the Boko Haram hit the net – and before – TTAG recommended a simple solution to the terrorist threat against Nigerian non-believers: arm civilians. Give them guns and let them defend themselves. Needless to say, the mainstream media didn’t even so much as mention the possibility of armed self-defense. Equally, the Nigerian population afflicted by the Boko Haram scourge didn’t need our advice on the matter. According to the late-to-the-self-defense party nydailynews.com, “On Tuesday morning, after learning about an impending attack by militants, locals ambushed two trucks with a gunmen. At least 10 militants were detained, and scores were killed, the official said.” What’s more . . .

Kalabalge trader Ajid Musa said that after residents organized the vigilante group, “it is impossible” for militants to successfully stage attacks there.
“That is why most attacks by the Boko Haram on our village continued (to) fail because they cannot come in here and start shooting and killing people,” he said. Earlier this year in other parts of Borno, some extremists launched more attacks in retaliation over the vigilante groups.

The rest of the Daily News post acts as if no armed self-defense happened; rabbiting on about the international hand-wringing and promises of help that followed Boko Haram’s recent kidnapping of Nigerian school girls. [Click here to read more about the battle.] To which I would add, if you’re not part of the solution (arming the locals), you’re part of the problem.

Oh, did I mention that the Nigerians don’t have a Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms? And yet citizens somehow scared up some guns to defend their lives and property, just like the Mexican “vigilantes.” Who’d a thunk it?