• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Senate debates Danjuma’s allegations against Armed Forces

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The Senate has resolved to debate allegations made by former Defence Minister, Theophilus Danjuma (retired) that the Armed Forces was colluding with bandits in the killing of Nigerians.

Danjuma, who had also served as Chief of Amy Staf had in the comment made last Saturday in Jalingo at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba State University, accused the Nigerian armed forces of collaborating with armed bandits particularly the Fulani Herdsmen, to kill innocent Nigerians.

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.”

But the Senate on Tuesday approved request by Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (APC, Taraba State) to bring up the matter for debate.

Yusuf in his argument for the motion said 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

It was however found out that many senators didn’t want the motion to be taken because of division it may cause in the senate .

“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.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja