Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, on Thursday, lambasted the
regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over the
comment made by the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd.), that
Nigerians should defend themselves amid the security challenges in the country.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, National
Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin, said the minister’s comment
showed that the President has failed in its constitutional responsibility to
protect the lives and properties of citizens.
The minister of
Wednesday said, “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and to
find safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards.
“At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, when they fire shots everybody runs. In our younger days, we stand to fight any aggression coming for us.”
The comment generated outrage on social media with many
Nigerians calling for the government to licence citizens to bear arms in order to
confront criminal elements, especially in the face of increasing bandits’
attacks in almost every part of the country.
Reacting, Odumakin said, “The comment of the defence
minister shows that Buhari has failed. Are we supposed to defend ourselves with
bare hands when they (criminals) are with guns? Only Fulani herdsmen are
carrying AK-47 all over Nigeria today and you are asking us to defend ourselves
with bare hands against AK-47?
“The token from that statement is that we (Buhari regime)
have failed, we can no longer defend you. That was what he (Magashi) was
telling us.”
On the rampant attacks by nomadic herdsmen on host farmers
in the South-West region, the Afenifere spokesman said any attempt to seek
“ethnic justice” will lead to genocide.
He said, “Any attempt to seek ethnic justice most times lead
to genocide. That is why we have refrained, and cautioned against people
seeking ethnic justice. But with the way Buhari is going, he is pushing people
to that level where they may have to seek justice on their own.”
Continuing, Odumakin said, “There is nothing like
farmer-herder clashes, it is a lie by the Buhari government. What we have is
herders’ terrorism against farmers. You send your wife to the farm, they waylay
her and rape her, and say it is a clash. What clash is in that? The word,
‘clash’ is from the Federal Government, it is from Aso Rock, it is a lie from
the pit of hell. What we are having is terrorising by the Fulani herdsmen.”
On the solution to the insecurity in the South-west region,
the Afenifere chieftain said banning open grazing and embracing the ranching
system of cattle breeding remained the only way out of the problem.
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