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Senate In Stormy Session Over Debate On Danjuma’s Outburst
Strong indications have emerged that there will be a stormy session today at the Senate Chamber as Senators will debate recent comments made by erstwhile Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd) that Nigerians should resort to self protection in the face of unending killings in the country.
The former Minister of Defence had alleged that the military was colliding with militias to cause havoc in the country.
Though the military had taken a swipe at the retired general’s allegation, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, APC, Taraba Central, yesterday rose through a point of order on the floor of the Senate for permission to bring a substantive motion on Danjuma’s outburst.
Yusuf who spoke under Order 42 of the 2015 Senate Standing Orders as amended said that General Danjuma raised fundamental issues that should be debated and investigated by the Senate.
According to him, the General at the event called on Nigerians to take up arms in protecting themselves against armed militias allegedly backed by military operatives.
Senator Yusuf’s prayer however turned controversial when put to voice vote by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki as those who shouted nay! sounded louder than those who shouted ayes!
The Senate President who was a bit confused as to which of the expression to rule on , repeated the voice vote with those who shouted nay ! , still louder than ayes, but he ruled that the ayes have it, paving way for an imminent hot debate on the motion today .
It will be recalled that General Danjuma who spoke last Saturday in Jalingo at the maiden Convocation Ceremony of Taraba State University, however accused the Nigerian military of collaborating with armed bandits particularly the Fulani Herdsmen to kill innocent Nigerians.
He had said that “The military are helping the herdsmen to kill Nigerians. They cannot stop the killings because they are in agreement with them. If you wait for the military to stop these killings we will all die.” He added that the motive behind the killings was nothing but ethnic cleansing, saying “there is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the state and of course, some rural states in Nigeria. We must resist it. We must stop it. Every one of us must rise up.”
It was gathered that many of the senators did not want the motion to be taken because of division it may cause in the senate .
A senator said, “Senator Yusuf is a Fulani man from Taraba State , the same state the respected General comes from and one of the epicentres of the said killings allegedly being facilitated by military.
“Agreed, as a Fulani man and one of the stakeholders from the state, he has the right to call the attention of the senate to any crisis or problem in his state but going by the way he sought for the motion by misquoting the General to have told Nigerians to take up arms for self-defense, his motion would no doubt be very controversial when debated tomorrow ( today)”, one of the senators said.
It would be recalled that Senator Yusuf on the floor of the Senate in 2016 , openly disagreed with Senator Emmanuel Bwacha ( APC Taraba South ) when the latter through a motion alleged that the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from Sambisa Forest in Borno State were the ones collaborating with herdsmen on wanton killings in the State.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.