The kinsmen of elder statesman, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd), have told the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, that their son never mentioned in Takum that the Army was taking sides with any ethnic group.
Elder John Mamman, who spoke on their behalf to newsmen in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, was responding to comments made by Gen. Lagbaja during a live program on Channels Television.
The Chief of Army Staff had said during the television program that, “General Danjuma is from an ethnic group that is confronted by security challenges. He lives there, and I heard his utterances during the installation of the king in Takum.
“The people who are fighting—the Kuteb, the Jukun, and the Tiv ethnic groups—don’t represent the Nigerian Army. That is established.
“If General TY Danjuma comes up to accuse the military of taking sides, I understand that he has expectations, but the truth is that if there is a security infraction in Borno state, it is not everybody in Borno that is an enemy of the state.
“The Army does not go about asking people what their religion is or which ethnic group they belong to in carrying out their duty.
“We do it professionally, and you don’t expect us to go into a community, burn the whole place down, and kill everybody.
“If they are not seen as combatants carrying guns openly engaging the military in combat, we will treat them as law-abiding citizens because that is what they have presented themselves to be.
“And if that is the stance of Gen. Danjuma for him to express his opinion, I think it does not represent the Nigerian Army.”
Elder Mamman, in his response, said, “I have listened to TY Danjuma’s comments in Takum during the installation of the Chief of Takum, and there was nowhere he mentioned that the Army was taking sides with any ethnic group.
“It is surprising that the Chief of Army Staff would attribute this to him.
“Maybe the Chief of Army Staff has an expectation of him, but the elder statesman never said the Army was supporting any ethnic group.
“Rather, he told the governor to be prepared for more litigations because those contending for the first-class chief in Takum will keep going to court.”
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyer