A former minister of defence Theophilus Danjuma has asked Nigerians to defend themselves against killers, noting that the country's security apparatus has been compromised.
The retired general said the army has failed in its responsibility to secure the country from attacks and accusing the military of bias.

Danjuma stated this on Saturday, March 24, 2018, while speaking at the maiden convocation of Taraba State University.

He said, "[The armed forces] are no longer neutral there is need for Nigerians to rise up and defend the country, defend the state and defend yourselves.

"If you depend on the armed forces to stop the killings you will all die one by one. The Nigeria armed forces are not neutral."

The former minister, who described Taraba as a "mini Nigeria", said the peace of the state is threatened, adding that the killings across the country must stop to avoid a full-blown war.

Taraba is one of the states affected by the farmer-herdsmen crisis which has left many dead.

https://amp.pulse.ng/news/local/ex-minister-ty-danjuma-says-the-army-is-compromised-id8162230.html

Read also at http://sunnewsonline.com/herdsmen-attacks-defend-yourselves-gen-danjuma-tells-nigerians/

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Olawale Olaleye, Shola Oyeyipo, Gboyega Akinsanmi, Anayo Okolie in Lagos, Paul Obi in Abuja and Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

In a rare outburst, former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Yakubu Danjuma, on Saturday raised alarm that there was an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the country and asked Nigerians to rise up to resist it.

He spoke in Jalingo at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba State University and said Nigerians must be alert to defend themselves and their country, pointedly accusing the military of complicity in the killing of farmers by herdsmen.

But in a swift response, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said Danjuma’s allegation would be investigated and any of its personnel found culpable would be brought before the law.

The Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. John Agim, in an interview with THISDAY, on Saturday, said the DHQ was taking the former defence minister’s comment seriously in view of his personality.

Agim said: “We take that statement seriously because of the personality of the person of Gen TY Danjuma.

“The military will investigate, and any military personnel that is found to be colluding with the herdsmen would be punished accordingly.”

Danjuma’s admonition came just as some elder statesmen warned on Saturday that unrestrained killings by herdsmen could undermine the unity of the country.

Those that spoke exclusively to THISDAY were a leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; legal luminary and former Minister of Education, Professor Ben Nwabueze; and a leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Tanko Yakassai.

Danjuma, who was visibly enraged by the incidences of killings across the country accused the Nigerian Armed Forces of being partisan and colluding with armed bandits to perpetrated carnages across the length and breadth of the country.

He said: “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 relatively peacefully. But the peace in this state is under assault.

“There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the state and of course, in some riverine and rural states in Nigeria. We must resist it. We must stop it. Every one of us must rise up.

“Our Armed Forces are not neutral. They collude with the armed bandits to kill people, kill Nigerians. The Armed Forces guide their movements. They cover them. If you are depending on the Armed Forces to stop the killings, you will all die one by one.”

The philanthropist, who donated N100m to the university’s endowment fund enjoined Nigerians to rise up to defend themselves, saying Somalia would be a child’s play if they failed to act.

“This ethnic cleansing must stop in Taraba State and other rural states of Nigeria, otherwise Somalia will be a child’s play. I ask every one of you to be alert and defend your country, defend your territory and defend your state. Defend yourselves because you have no other place to go…God bless our country,” he said.

Danjuma’s comment is coming on the heels of allegations of complicity raised against Army personnel involved in Exercise Ayema Kpatuma (Exercise Cat Race) by communities in the Southern zone of Taraba State, particularly in Ussa and Takum Local Government Areas including Yangtu Developmental Area.

Speaking in separate interviews, the Chairmen of Ussa and Takum, Mr. Rimansikwe Karma and Mr. Shiban Tikari respectively, accused the army officials of brutality, extortion and colluding with herdsmen to displace rural dwellers and take over their farmlands.

They said they had received several complaints of molestations, tortures and extortion of innocent victims, from their constituents.

One of those extorted, according to them, was a widow, Mrs. Jummai Andeyaba, whose N150, 000 got missing after soldiers on the exercise allegedly stormed her residence in search of arms and ammunitions.

According to Tikari: “It is sad to note that the soldiers of Excise Cat Race are harassing our people in the towns, while herdsmen are attacking and killing others in the rural communities.

“We expect the soldiers to go into the bush and help us flush out killer herdsmen and kidnappers instead of beating up people in the town.

“The herdsmen that are coming into our community now with machine guns are not the traditional herdsmen we know and lived with over the years, I suspect they may the released Boko Haram members.”

Also speaking in the same vein, Karma said: “The operation was

I'm happy, people are beginning to wake from the Buhari-syndrome's slumber

wetin baba want turn this country into with his satanic agent,na only God know.