The debate over herdsmen killings in Nigeria took a new dimension yesterday following Lt-General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma’s (rtd) blunt assessment of the bloody affair.
The highly revered former Defence Minister and former Chief of Army Staff openly condemned the role of the armed forces in the herdsmen/farmers clashes, declaring that Nigerian Armed Forces, which was his primary constituency, were “neither neutral nor ready to defend helpless Nigerians.”
Taking cognisance of T.Y’s reputation as a taciturn, no-nonsense and internationally respected retired Army General, the implications of his blunt rebuke is, to say the least, far reaching.
This is mainly because Danjuma is not a partisan politician. A highly successful career soldier, who has been held in awe by all, during and after his days in the military, he remains one of Nigeria’s most respected elder statesmen alive today. Unlike the other successful military leaders in his class, like former President Olusegun Obasanjo or former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, Danjuma rarely ever gets involved in politics or makes public utterances, especially on political issues. This explains why his explosive comment on herdsmen killings and the role of the armed forces is bound to reverberate across the globe. Given his place in the polity and the sensitivity of the issue, which has claimed thousands of lives, Danjuma’s bold intervention is bound to come as a shock to the political leaders, the entire Nigerian elite and the civil populace.
For President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, one can easily identify at least two broad reasons why this latest intervention must be noted specially and responded to soberly.
One, coming against the backdrop of former leaders, like Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida’s recent rejection of the current socio-political and economic realities, Danjuma’s hard knocks on the state of the nation under Buhari’s watch will go further to justify the apprehension of the other leaders.
Also, the issue that Danjuma, chose to base his criticism, the handling of the herdsmen killings, is quite volatile. The All Progressive Congress-led Federal Government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari needs not be told that the latest indictment from a personality like Danjuma, who can hardly be dismissed as being partisan; is very damaging, politically. It should be expected that Buhari’s political opponents are bound to use the comments against APC and Buhari as the campaigns for the 2019 General Elections gather steam.
Even the international community, more than ever before, would likely take a closer look at the herdsmen killings, considering that Danjuma clearly said it was “ethnic cleansing” and that the armed forces, instead of defending the common Nigerians, are giving the killers ‘cover.’ These are grave assertions indeed, which the Federal Government must act upon immediately, especially because he urged the people to defend themselves.
So, Nigerians and international observers are understandably anxious to know how this government will react to the latest criticism. Will the President’s men attack Danjuma on the pages of newspapers or will these latest comments spur the government to review its so far ineffective measures in dealing with the herdsmen menace?