Ex-Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General T.Y Danjuma and the Southern, the Middle – Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, have asked Nigerians to defend their lives and territories following the killings in various communities across the country, particularly in Plateau and Benue States recently.
It is not the first time Gen. Danjuma is making this controversial proposition which many say is a recipe for yet untold anarchy beyond expectations. He once made a similar entreaty to his kinsmen in Taraba State when they were faced with the menace of ethnic militias.
Danjuma who had been at the helm of the military high command in the country is making such a weighty call despite understanding the implications.
The SMBLF lamented that “the planned, coordinated and unrelenting genocidal massacre by suspected Fulani militias in various communities across Nigeria has pushed all patriotic and well-meaning Nigerians beyond the threshold of mourning for decisive action by people of different nationalities and groups.
The statement entitled” The Days of Lamentation Are Over: Nigerians, Arise, Defend Your Lives and Territories, was signed by Oba Oladipo Olaitan for Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum -Dr. Bitrus Pogu, Ohanaeze Ndigbo World-Wide -Senator John Azuta-Mbata and PANDEF, Amb. Godknows Igali.
“These terrorist killings wiping out entire families and villages hypocritically branded “farmers/herders clash” on the farmers’ land have become such commonplace that officials of the Nigerian state on each occurrence only indulge in comparative statistical analysis of the number of lives lost.
Although the call for self-defence is coming from a point of frustration of affected communities and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project, especially with the horrific killings being experienced on a daily basis, it would amount to total anarchy to resort to such a move.
If weapons are freely on the loose and at the disposal of everyone, it would spell unmitigated doom for a nation which citizens are already weighed down by sundry mental situations. A sudden trigger pull would bring down unprovoked or wrong targets. The country would tend towards anarchy with no one to bell the cat.
It is indeed worrisome that the last month alone, has seen horrendous activities of bandits who have turned parts of Plateau, Benue, Kwara, and Zamfara states into killing fields. Almost daily, we wake up to news of fresh massacres. The situation in Taraba, Niger, Katsina, and Kaduna is equally not salutary enough, leaving cause for alarm on the preparedness of our security agencies to deal with these forces of evil.
Instead of a blanket free for all defence by citizens, we align with the thoughts that the Federal Government should establish a Community Self-Defense Commission as a means of curbing rising insecurity across the country where communities would be organized into formidable organs after requisite training to confront attackers instead of a haphazard arrangement.
This could indeed check the increasing cases of attacks, kidnappings, and killings, particularly in rural communities where intruders can be easily identified.
It is possible to have communities involved in their own security given the seeming helplessness of security agencies in responding to these threats.
The proposed Commission can be legally empowered to coordinate and support local defense structures, funded through community contributions—including those from members living in urban centres and the diaspora—while working in collaboration with the government.
Two strong dissenting voices against self-defence- the Nigerian Army high command and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi are of the view that the call was unnecessary as the existing security structures were enough to deal with the situation at hand.
While we share in their optimism that there is enough on ground to deal with the current of insecurity bedeviling the country, more needs to done to assuage the people’s concern.
The authorities need to confront these challenges with utmost defiance against these attackers. They should deploy enough resources and men to counter these insurgents notwithstanding their backers. The state should not only be seen but should rise in defence of its citizens notwithstanding the cost.
