BY VICTOR BUORO. ABUJA – Former minister of Defence, General Theophilus Y Danjuma (rtd), has taken his vehement protest against killings in some states of the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria to the United States of America saying the situation is critical and alarming.
General Danjuma, who was hosted by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), Heritage Foundation and 21 Wilberforce, declared that the issue of extremism among some Fulani people has led to horrific attacks on villages that echo Boko-Haram tactics.
General Danjuma who was at the event with Taraba State Governor, Daruis Ishaku
The former Chief of Army Staff while commenting on the implications of Nigeria’s escalating religious and ethnic violence, said If chaos in Nigeria is allowed to continue and not checked, refugees would soon start flooding over the West Africa sub-region, Europe and eventually America.
He further said; “Whether you build a wall or not, if chaos continues in Nigeria, refugees crisis will be difficult to handle as they would will flood over West Africa, then Europe and eventually America.
General Danjuma appealed to concerned American organizations to help Nigeria nurture its democracy, adding that Nigeria needs ‘civilized democracies’ like the US to assist its democracy in ways that provide security for citizens of every religious affiliation, bring justice to perpetrators of violence, and empower civil society to confront atrocities and stand together to promote peace.
He said; “Evidence is there that President Buhari has failed. Corruption continues and ineffective governance does not confront attacks on villages.”
Also speaking at the event, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State where Roman Catholic churches were recently attacked by Fulani extremists, said his administration ability to curtail the Fulani herdsman attacks is seriously hampered by the structure of Nigerian governance which does not give him control of the police or any security agency.
Ishaku further said; “Governors do not have power or influence to make security changes in their own states.”
In his own comments, former Congressman Frank Wolf, who is Senior Distinguished Fellow at 21Wilbeforce said that Europe is already finding it difficult to cope with the Syrian and Iraqi refugees thus would not want Nigeria to go that way.
Wolf said Nigeria is the lynchpin of regional stability and a strategic partner with the US in the struggle against extremism, stressing that the situation should be tackled with all seriousness.
