Herdsmen Killings: The Ethnic Cleansing Must Stop, Defend Yourselves Or You'll All Die - T Y Danjuma

 

While speaking at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba State University in Jalingo, former defence minister, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, on Saturday, spat fire by calling on Nigerians to rise and defend themselves against attacks by killer herdsmen in some parts of the country, or continue to suffer  casualties.

 

He said: “You must rise to protect yourselves from these people; if you depend on the armed forces to protect you, you will all die. I ask all of you to be on the alert and defend your country, defend your state.” 

 

The disengaged General of the Nigeria Army who received the award of honorary Doctor of Science from the University, said the unnecessary killings, which is akin to an act of ethnic cleansing being perpetuated against the people of Taraba, specifically, and Nigeria, at large, must stop.

 

An obviously and visibly angry Danjuma also lampooned the military  authorities  by slapping the institution with the accusation that it is complicit in the violent incidents by providing protection for the killers.

 

He said: “This ethnic cleansing must stop in Taraba, and it must stop in Nigeria. These killers have been protected by the military; they cover them and you must be watchful to guide and protect yourselves because  you have no other place to go”.

 

He lamented that in spite of the cultural diversity in the state, which was supposed to be used as a tool to bring unity among the people, there were armed bandits who come into the state to connive with the military to kill people and cause ethnic cleansing.

 

Danjuma said when he arrived at the arena of the convocation, he saw a diverse cultural display organised by Taraba State cultural groups.   This, he said, was proof-positive that the state represents Nigeria in all aspects, stressing that there  was no need for the killings.

 

The former Chief of Army Staff who made a pledge of N100 million to the appeal fund of the university, then warned that “the ethnic cleansing must stop now otherwise Somalia will be a child’s play”.

 

General Danjuma’s outburst is coming against the backdrop of recent violent attacks by killer herdsmen.  In the first 10weeks of 2018 alone, over 1351 people lost their lives , largely, as a result of violent killer herdsmen attacks. Some of these activities have been described as pure criminality.