Plateau PDP Elders Back Danjuma’s Call for Self-defence

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Elders’ forum of the Plateau Central Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its weight behind the call by General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) for self-defence in the face of incessant attacks and killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen, saying such was not a call to anarchy because the Nigerian constitution provides for self-defence.

Addressing a press conference in Jos thursday, Chairman of the forum, Chief John Mankilik, who was flanked by other members of the forum, said: “We totally agree with Retired General Danjuma as he spoke the minds of the bewildered people of Nigeria to the menace of the Fulani herdsmen.”

The forum observed that “a trend seems to emerge in the Middle Belt states of Nigeria, such that there is a correlation between President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit and bloodshed during such visits. And we are concerned that if this is the change Nigeria bargained for?

“In Plateau State, our heritage is betrayed, our patrimony is ambushed, our future is compromised, our land is in endangered and our people and their aspiration are in danger.”

They expressed disappointment that rather than confronting the president with the true state of security in the state during his visit, “Governor Lalong and his anti-Plateau gang of undertakers and gold-diggers were lying and treating the president to a false and chimerical gallery, oiling Buhari’s failure and romancing his long departed ego.”

They said the president’s visit has exposed the glaring leadership gap and weakness on the Plateau as piloted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government; the government deliberately put in place a charade just targeted at 2019 interest to the detriment of the survival of the people.

“The ensuing battle between Lalong and the Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung, has also clearly revealed this cardinal interest to make a public ridicule of Plateau State, unlike our Benue State counterparts that has displayed strong cohesion with their people regardless of partisan differences. Plateau State is therefore an easy prey for the age-long enemy of divide and rule.

“Our two APC illustrious sons of Plateau Central could not even remember to remind the president during his visit that up till now, the security agencies made no single arrest of the assailants of Late Lazarus Agai, the Saf ron Kulere, a first class paramount ruler of Bokkos who was murdered by the marauders. If our two APC elders could forget their paramount ruler that was killed in such a manner, we are not surprise that they do not remember the ordinary citizens killed in Bokkos on the day the president visited the state.”