Senator Yusuf: General Danjuma’s statement “worrisome and disturbing’’

A member of National Assembly, Sen. Yusuf Yusuf, has described as “worrisome and disturbing’’, the statement credited to Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd) on state of security in the country.

Danjuma was reported to have urged Nigerians to rise and defend themselves against attacks by herdsmen across the country and had accused the military of colluding with the herdsmen in the onslaught against innocent people.


Yusuf, a member of the Senate, representing Taraba Central District, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that Danjuma was a respected elder statesman whose statements should be taken very seriously.

He said, “For the statement to come from an elder statesman with such integrity, it is something very worrisome and disturbing.

“One will only say that he has access, unfettered access to President Muhammadu Buhari and to whoever it is in this country.

“But, for him to come and make this very sensitive statement to the public, I think it something I will say, is very unfortunate.

“We in Taraba look at him as a father, mentor, guardian and somebody we all look up to but if he comes and be making these kind of statement, we will only say he might have been ill-advised.

“He might have been misinformed or there is something serious that ought to be looked into,” he said.

The lawmaker, however, stated that for the statement to come from such a personality, “he must have information with regard to what he has said’’.

“Let him offer such suggestion to the President or to even come to the National Assembly and give details of information he has with regard to what he has said.

“This is so, so that the military will also be called upon, probably by the National Assembly or by the executive, to come forward and give account of what they know about what Danjuma said,” he added.

On Leah Sharibu, the only girl still being held by the insurgents who abducted her and 109 other girls at Federal Government Science and Technical College, Dapchi, on Feb. 19, Yusuf said “it is unfortunate.”

“One life is worth the government spending whatever it takes to secure her life.

“Whether the student is a Christian or a Muslim, what is important is that human life is involved and we look forward for early release of the girl.

“Once you are holding a girl, you are holding mother of the nation. She is also a future resource of this country.

“I don’t that think it is wise to play politics with that, if at all there is politics being played with that,” he said.

The lawmaker, however, commended Buhari for the release of the other girls, and scored the administration high in the fight against insurgency.

“The tenacity of the president and the active participation of security agencies, the National Assembly, civil society organisations and others have helped in stemming the tide of insecurity in the country,” he stated.