TY Danjuma, who played a major role in Nigeria’s second military coup that claimed the life of his master and head of state Gen. JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi on July 29, 1966, on Saturday discredited the army and urged Nigerians to resort to self-help or they “will all die one by one”.
Speaking at the maiden convocation of Taraba State University, the retired general who was also minister of defence in Obasanjo’s government from 1999 to 2003 said soldiers colluded with assassins who attacked Nigerians.
He described Taraba as a “mini Nigeria” whose peace was under assault, just like Benue, Adamawa, Plateau and other states.
He said: “The armed forces are not neutral. They collude with the armed bandits. They kill people, kill Nigerians. They facilitate their movements, they cover them…
“If you depend on the armed forces to stop the killings you will all die one by one.
“The ethnic cleansing must stop in Taraba State, must stop in all the states of Nigeria.
“I ask everyone one of you to be alert and defend your territory, your state. You have nowhere else to go.”
Danjuma warned that the killings in the country must stop, or else “Somalia will be a child’s play”.
