The Presidency has finally reacted to statements made by a former Army chief, Theophilus Danjuma, who stated that Nigerians should rise up and defend themselves against violent attacks.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Taraba State University in Jalingo, Danjuma had said; “The armed forces are not neutral. They collude with the armed bandits to kill people, kill Nigerians.”
In response, the Presidency has dismissed these claims, stating, “The Presidency is very worried that criminal gangs will feel justified in defying legal governing and democratic institutions, and authority of legitimately elected democratic government if unrestrained pronouncements are made,” a statement by spokesman Garba Shehu said.
“Silence can be dignified, but sometimes it can be misinterpreted and exploited. It is both shocking and scary to hear the recent comments by a senior citizen calling for Nigerians to defend themselves.”
The statement also noted that should Nigerians pick up arms, they may not be able to resist the military who have more training and experience than them.
The statement added; “We advise former leaders to take advantage of the various fora where people with a history of national security can offer advice to the government without resorting to the exploitation of emotional sentiments.
“The civil war motto: “TO KEEP NIGERIA ONE IS A TASK THAT MUST BE DONE” rings very timely at this time in our nation’s history. We must be careful to avoid the mess that destroyed other African countries like Somalia,”