Disengaged General of the Nigeria Army and former Defence Minister, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, yesterday, spat fire by calling on Nigerians to rise and defend themselves against attacks by marauding herdsmen in some parts of the country, or continue to suffer casualties.
“You must rise to protect yourselves from these people; if you depend on the Armed Forces to protect you, you will all die. “I ask all of you to be on the alert and defend your country, defend your state,” he admonished.
He said the unnecessary killings, which are akin to an act of ethnic cleansing being perpetrated against the people of Taraba, specifically, and Nigeria, at large, must stop. An obviously and visibly angry Danjuma also lampooned the military authorities by slapping the institution with the accusation that it is complicit in the violent incidents by providing protection for the killers.
“This ethnic cleansing must stop in Taraba, and it must stop in Nigeria.
These killers have been protected by the military; they cover them and you must be watchful to guide and protect yourselves because you have no other place to go”. Speaking at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba State University in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital,
Danjuma, who received the award of honorary Doctor of Science from the University, lamented that in spite of the cultural diversity in the state, which was supposed to be used as a tool to bring unity among the people, there were armed bandits who come into the state to connive with the military to kill people and cause ethnic cleansing.
Danjuma said when he arrived at the arena of the convocation, he saw a diverse cultural display organised by Taraba State cultural groups.
This, he said, was proof-positive that the state represents Nigeria in all aspects, stressing that there was no need for the killings.
The former Chief of Army Staff then warned that “the ethnic cleansing must stop now otherwise Somalia will be a child’s play”. General Danjuma’s outburst is coming against the backdrop of recent violent attacks by killer herdsmen.
In the first 10weeks of 2018 alone, over 1351 people lost their lives , largely, as a result of violent killer herdsmen attacks. Some of these activities have been described as pure criminality.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari has been very consistent in his call for peaceful co-existence in the country, promising to resolve the crisis.
He made a pledge of N100 million to the appeal fund of the university. While speaking, the visitor, Taraba State University and governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, appreciated the past governors of the state for initiating the state university.
He said his administration would continue to give priority to education and the university for a better Taraba.
“The institution has made it possible for many Taraba residents to access tertiary education,” he said, and pledged government’s support toward making it a model. Earlier, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, the Vice Chancellor, had commended the state government for its continued support which had ensured the growth of the university.
Tenebe said that 5,900 students from five sets were graduating, and urged them to be good ambassadors of the institution.
Meanwhile, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Theophilus Danjuma has urged Nigerians to defend themselves from killers across the country instead of depending on the armed forces.
He also made a grave accusation against the armed forces, accusing them of providing cover and defending the killers.
Danjuma, who was former Chief of Army Staff from 1976-1979, said this, last Saturday, in a live telecast programme of the 10th anniversary of the Taraba State University, Jalingo.
“You must rise to protect yourselves from these people. If you depend on the armed forces for protection, you will all die one by one”, said a visibly angry Danjuma.
“The ethnic cleansing must stop now. Otherwise, Somalia will be a child’s play. I ask everyone of you to be on the alert and defend your country, defend your territory, defend your state because you have nowhere else to go.
“The armed forces are not neutral. They are conniving with the armed bandits that are killing people,” he said.
Danjuma described Taraba as a miniature Nigeria with beautiful cultures which the bandits were doing everything to destroy.
Taraba, the home state of the retired general, had witnessed, like the Middle Belt states of Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, clashes between herdsmen and farmers, leading to many deaths.
Herdsmen alleged that about 800 of them were killed on the Mambilla Plateau, a charge the Taraba State Government has denied.
There have also been the problems of banditry and cattle rustling in some North Western states, especially Zamfara, which President Muhammadu Buhari visited, last Thursday.
There, Buhari ordered the armed forces to stop the killings all over the country.
It would be recalled that there have been reports of either banditry, herdsmen killing farmers or their hosts and kidnapping across the country.
Danjuma’s advice was that all Nigerians should protect themselves, rather than waiting for the armed forces alone to protect them.
Also speaking at the event, Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku expressed joy over the growth of the university within a short time, and commended its founding fathers for their foresight.
“The institution has made it possible for many Taraba residents to access tertiary education,” he said, andpledged government’s support toward making it a model.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, commended the state government for its continued support which had ensured the growth of the university.
Tenebe said that 5,900 students from five sets were graduating, and urged them to be good ambassadors of the institution.
Honorary doctorate degrees were conferred on Danjuma, Sen Jeremiah Useni and Ishaku.
Also honoured with doctorate degrees were Chairman, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr. Tony Elumelu, and former Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro.
Danjuma had earlier inaugurated the 6.75-kilometre Magami link road constructed by the Taraba State Government.
Similary, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the call by former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd), that Nigerians should defend themselves against killers, is yet another testimony of the tragic situation which the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dragged the nation since their assumption of office.
The party said General Danjuma’s statement justifies its stand that the Buhari Presidency must be held responsible for the pain in the land, adding that, Nigerians are now daily paying the supreme price because of “The failures of a grossly incompetent leadership and a deceitful ruling party.”
The PDP, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said the pronouncement, coming from an former Chief of Army Staff and former Defence minister of is weighty and directly reflects the ugly situation in the country under the APC.
“It is instructive to recall that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, both former military leaders, army generals and patriots, had earlier raised the issue of unabating bloodletting and pogrom in our country under the APC and the Buhari Presidency.
“Painfully, the APC-controlled federal government has not only failed in finding solution but is also contending with allegations of conspiracy and acts that are believed to have emboldened attacks against innocent Nigerians.
“Nigerians are no longer feeling secured in their land. Our country has, in close to three years, assumed a status of killing field where defenceless citizens are despoiled, raped and mowed by insurgents and marauders in Benue, Taraba, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna, Adamawa, Borno, Plateau, Nasarawa, Rivers, Enugu, Kogi among other states.
“Unfortunately, the Buhari-led APC federal government remains aloof and has failed to take decisive steps that will apprehend the masterminds of the carnage.
“Instead, what we are witnessing are complete government insensitivity, allegations of complicity and compromise of security around soft targets and dishing out of false information, as was the case in Benue, Yobe, Taraba and other states where Nigerians have come under heavy attacks from marauders,” the party stated in part.
The party also faulted government’s handling of the abduction of over 100 Dapchi girls saying the ruling party and President Buhari have “refused to come out clear on their roles in the alleged compromising of security in troubled areas, particularly the reported withdrawal of troops from Dapchi prior to the abduction of the schoolgirls.
“Nigerians are also yet to see the action taken by President Buhari against the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for flouting the Presidential orders that he should relocate to troubled Benue in the heat of attacks on the state.”