- Governor Namadi was responding to comments by General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers
Amid rising insecurity in parts of Nigeria, Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has cautioned against calls for self-defence, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent comments by former Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd), who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers, particularly in Benue and Plateau States.
General Danjuma, a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), had argued that reliance on the government for protection was no longer tenable given the spate of violence and killings in the country and the inability of Defence and Security forces to protect Nigerians.
Speaking during an Easter gathering held in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State to appreciate his staff, partners, and affiliated companies, General Danjuma stressed that the rising tide of violence from bandits and terrorists demands a collective response.
“If our people do not stand up and defend themselves, bandits and terrorists will take over our society,” he warned, urging citizens to adopt self-defence measures as a vital strategy in safeguarding their communities.”
This would not be the first time that General Danjuma is raising the issue of the failure of the nation’s security architecture with its defence and security the country and the need for Nigerians to arm and defend themselves.
On March 24, 2018, he told the maiden Convocation ceremony of Taraba State University in Jalingo Taraba state capital that the unnecessary killings are ethnic cleansing on the people of Taraba and Nigeria at large, calling on the people to ‘rise and defend themselves against the killers. You must rise to protect yourselves from these people. If you depend on the Arm Forces to protect you, you will all die
“This ethnic creasing must stop in Taraba, and it must stop in Nigeria. These killers have been protected by the military, they cover them and you must be watchful to guide and protect yourselves because you have no any other place to go”
“The ethnic cleansing must stop now otherwise Somalia will be a child play. I ask all of you to be on your alert and defend your country, defend your State.”
On Saturday October 22, 2022, in his goodwill message at the presentation of staff of office to 25 Aku-Uka of Wukari in Taraba State, Manu Ishaku Adda Ali, General Danjuma said: ““Right now, we are all sitting ducks. These people are armed to the teeth with all sorts of weapons of mass destruction. And we don’t have them. But we have the numbers and the land belongs to us. They are trying to recolonize us and take over our land.
“Can I allow you to defend yourself? (The crowd shouted ‘Yes’ in unison). Your Majesty, you heard what they (the crowd) said. You must then unite our people. A lot of attacks that I got was from our people. They said I told them to defend themselves and I didn’t give them arms. I will not give you arms. Find out why and how these people who have it got it. Use the same means to defend yourselves.
“This beautiful land called Nigeria, the biggest country for black man in the whole world is being brought to ruins by absolutely useless criminals. But how did they get here? Most of them are foreigners. Of course, we know there are collaborators among them. Some of them might be even here.
“So, my prayer is that God almighty that has given us this land, will give us the courage to face up to our enemy, locate where he is, and route him out, drive him out of the country. This we must do, otherwise, Nigeria is finished.”
But Governor Namadi rejected self-defence as the right approach to fighting insecurity, describing it as a dangerous path.
“He (Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and his words deserve respect and analysis,” Namadi said. “But I think if you say citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, you’re causing anarchy. I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.”
He argued that rather than encourage armed self-defence, the government at all levels must continue to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The government is doing its best in terms of security arrangements. If you allow the people to defend themselves, that means you are encouraging a crisis between farmers and herders,” the governor warned.
Long-standing Farmer-herder Clash
Namadi cited his administration’s approach to resolving the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a better alternative. According to him, when he assumed office, he prioritised non-violent conflict resolution strategies.
“When we came in, we decided to employ a lot of strategies and tactics, including dialogue,” he said. “We engaged traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both farmers and herders. We sat down, reached a consensus, and established standing committees to reconcile all parties.”
He added that these efforts helped halt a decades-long conflict: “The people now understand that the 25 years spent fighting and killing each other were not worth it. Today, they are able to work, interact, and live together in peace.”
Governor Namadi further noted that Jigawa is currently not among the States facing severe threats such as insurgency or mass killings by bandits. Instead, the primary challenge had been farmer-herder clashes, which his administration has successfully curtailed.
“We thank God that Jigawa State is not affected by insurgency or insecurity for now. The major issue we are dealing with is the herders-farmers clash, and we are addressing it decisively,” he said.
Despite the worsening security in other parts of the country, Governor Namadi insisted that self-defence is not a viable solution and could deepen the crisis: “So, I think the government is doing its best, both at the federal and state levels. The issue of asking people to defend themselves — I think we have not reached that level yet.
‘Not A Way To Go’
An expert on conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa, Bulama Bukarti, has also warned that calls for self-defence will worsen the situation.
Bukarti, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, countered Danjuma’s appeal for Nigerians to take up arms in defence of their lives and property.
He said that while the scale of violence is deeply troubling, encouraging civilians to arm themselves is not a solution.
“It is overwhelming, but to be honest, despite these, self-defence is the wrong thing to start; it is the wrong call,” he said during the programme.
He explained that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country already poses a serious security challenge, and that advocating for self-defence could further deteriorate public safety.
“Now, if you have calls for self-defence, what that means is that there will be more arms in the hands of ordinary Nigerians,” Bukarti warned. “More people will buy weapons, they will buy arms, and more people will start to kill people without justice.”
Peacewalk Against Killings, Intervention Calls
Danjuma had reiterated his position following fresh assaults in Benue and Plateau states, where over 150 persons were reportedly killed, several others injured, and many displaced.
Meanwhile, amid renewed violence and heavy casualties in Plateau State, Christians under the umbrella of the Church Denominational Leaders Forum and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) staged a peace walk on Monday to protest the persistent killings.
The march, which drew men, women, and youths, was both a tribute to victims and a demand for justice, following recent attacks in Bokkos and Bassa that left over 100 people dead. Participants carried banners bearing messages such as “Stop the bloodshed” and “Every life matters,” urging urgent intervention.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had described the killings as genocidal and disclosed that over 60 communities had been taken over by armed invaders.
Similarly, neighbouring Benue State has faced a wave of deadly attacks, with 56 people killed in fresh assaults on Ukum and Logo local government areas. Both governors have called for urgent federal intervention to halt the bloodshed and reclaim affected territories from armed groups accused of land grabbing.
National figures and political leaders have joined in condemning the violence. President Bola Tinubu, in his Easter message, vowed that “forces of evil will never prevail,” while directing security agencies to take decisive action.
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi criticised the administration’s handling of the crisis, calling for more empathy and grassroots-focused strategies. Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered increased patrols and protection of public spaces, particularly during the Easter period.
Original report published by Channels TV