The Nigerian Army is compromised and anyone expecting protection from them is living in a fools paradise. Citizens should therefore protect themselves former Defence minister and army chief, General Theophillus Yakubu Danjuma has advocated.
Speaking at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, 79 years old Danjuma said: “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 armed forcesto stop these killings you will all die, one by one,
“I am not a politician and politics is one profession I don’t want to belong to because if I am a politician, I would not say what I am going to say to you now.
“When I arrived this arena, I saw rich cultural display, and I was amazed at the rich cultural heritage of our people. Taraba is a mini Nigeria with diverse ethnic groups living together peacefully, but the peace in this state is under assault.
“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.”
Danjuma warned that a scenario akin to Somalia may be brewing in Nigeria.
But speaking with Premium Times, an online newspaper, Defence spokesperson, John Agim, said: “General Danjuma is someone we all hold in highest esteem because he served the military with impeccable record. But we reject the allegation completely.”
Mr. Agim said the military would discipline any officer once an allegation of connivance with attackers has been established.
“The Nigerian military as a professional organisation will mete out the strongest punishment to any officer caught to have colluded with attackers,” Mr. Agim said.
“But the military as an institution will never sanction attacks on the civilians and we respectfully disagree with General Danjuma.”