Former Minister of Defence, Lt. General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd.) has blamed banditry and insecurity bedeviling the country on the Federal Government, accusing it of complacency and complicity.
The former Chief of Army Staff recalled that few years ago he was vilified for calling on hapless Nigerians to rise up and take up arms to defend themselves, since the armed forces seemed to collude with non-state actors to cause mayhem across the country.
During the installation and presentation of Staff of Office to the paramount ruler of the Jukun race, His Majesty, Manu Ishaku Adda Ali at the weekend, Dajuma said that he has now been vindicated, following the current spate of banditry and insecurity of lives and property, which have now assumed alarming and dangerous dimensions.
He said: “Our country is under siege by armed bandits. I recall a few years ago, I said that the armed forces were either not capable or unwilling to protect us and that we must defend ourselves.
“The first denial came from the Ministry of Defence; they said I was lying, and they set up a kangaroo board of inquiry to investigate the truth or otherwise of what I said; and they invited me to come and testify. I did not go.
“They wrote that report which said that I was only speculating and there was no evidence. And now there is evidence.
“The whole country now is being run and overrun by armed bandits; and one clear thing that is happening is that these foreign invaders they are not even Muslims. A lot of the casualties inflicted on the land are all Muslims. But they were allowed to come into the country by our government.
“Right now, we are sitting ducks; these people are armed to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction, and we don’t have. But we have the numbers, and the land belongs to us.
“They are trying to colonise us and take over our land. We must defend ourselves.
“But how did they get here? Most of them are foreigners. Of course, we know there are collaborators among them; some of them may be even here.
“So, my prayer is that God Almighty Who has given us this land will give us the courage to face up to our enemy and locate where he is and rout him out of the country. This we must do, otherwise Nigeria is finished.
“As a soldier, my training teaches me that the best defence is attack.”
Danjuma then called on the new monarch to use his good offices to reunite the Jukun race to rise up in unison to defend their ancestral land.
“We are surrounded by people who do not wish us well; those who want our land.
“We must always bear in mind that the defence of our land is your responsibility. Your Majesty, you heard what I am saying; you must unite our people”, he counselled.
Danjuma said unequivocally that he would not provide arms to the people to defend themselves. Rather they should find out the bandits and procure theirs.
The ceremony attracted Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong; the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, and numerous other traditional rulers and eminent personalities across the country.
