MURIC attacks TY Danjuma-led Christian body for dragging Buhari to UK parliament over alleged Islamization agenda

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MURIC attacks TY Danjuma-led Christian body for dragging Buhari to UK parliament over alleged Islamization agenda

 

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Friday described the claim by the Nigerian Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, of supposed moves by President Muhammadu Buhari to islamize Nigeria as a “compendium of lies from the pit of Jahannam”.

NCEF, under the leadership of former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. T.Y Danjuma (retd); ex-Military Governor of Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot (retd); and Chief Solomon Asemota, SAN, had dragged Buhari to the United Kingdom, UK, Parliament, over alleged move to Islamise Nigeria.

Alleging that the Nigerian leader was pursuing a jihad or Islamisation agenda, they told the UK parliament that Buhari was not serious about tackling insecurity arising from Boko Haram insurgency and herdsmen-farmers crises in the country.

Reacting to the allegation, MURIC stressed that the Islamization claim was “frivolous, unfounded, imaginary, untenable and unacceptable.”

In a statement signed by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group insisted that Nigerian’s membership of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, summit was not to Islamize the country.

MURIC recalled that Nigeria became a member of OIC during the regime of former Military Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon.

The statement reads: “Northern Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) yesterday petitioned the European Parliament over President Buhari’s attendance of the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference and alleged Islamisation of Nigeria. NCEF also alleged that the president was not doing enough on the security challenges facing the country.

“NCEF’s allegations are a compendium of lies from the pit of Jahannam. They are frivolous, unfounded, imaginary, untenable and unacceptable. We have no modicum of doubt that their lies will come crashing down on them like a pack of cards when the EU Parliament investigates their allegations. NCEF cannot fool the EU Parliament.

“EU Parliament will find it interesting to know that Nigeria became a member of OIC back in 1969 when General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), a Christian, took Nigeria to the organization in observer status. Gowon is not a Muslim but he needed the organisation’s support for Nigeria during the civil war (1967 – 1971). Spain, Portugal and France were supporting Biafra and Gowon found it mandatory to rally the support of African countries through Nigeria’s membership of OIC.

“It will therefore become clear that joining OIC has nothing to do with Islamisation but another way of pursuing Nigeria’s national interest. Nigeria joined for political expediency and the regularization in 1986 was merely procedural.

“Just as Gowon used the instrumentality of Nigeria’s membership of OIC to secure victory for Nigeria in the civil war, President Buhari used his physical presence at the 2019 OIC summit to return home with two juicy take-aways, not for himself, not for Jubril of Sudan, not for the Fulanis, not even for Daura, but for his country, Nigeria. OIC pledged to support Nigeria’s war against terrorism and also to support Nigeria in completing the ongoing Second Niger Bridge project.

“It is therefore unfortunate that NCEF still has the audacity to accuse Buhari of not doing enough on security issues and for attending the OIC summit. How would Nigeria have secured the organisation’s support for its war against terrorism if Buhari had not attended the summit and tabled Nigeria’s challenges there?

“Again, is the Second Niger Bridge situated in Daura? Who benefits from its completion? Is it Buhari personally, the Fulanis as a race or Islam as a creed? NCEF petition to the EU Parliament as well as the criticisms of Ohaneze and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) are therefore a mark of ingratitude. But we are certain that the petition in particular is an exercise in futility. Those behind the petition should bury their heads in shame considering the economic and security gains realized from the summit.

“Nigeria’s security challenges did not start under Buhari. The Boko Haram phenomenon started in the Obasanjo days and grew worse under Jonathan. The insurgents effectively occupied 17 local governments as far back as 2014. It was Buhari’s frontal confrontation that reduced the hoodlums to a hit and run guerrilla unit today.

“Bombs were exploding on a daily basis in Jonathan’s days but it receded to a weekly and later, monthly affair under Buhari. It was because the global terrorist network knew that Boko Haram is dying that the Islamic State of West Africa has taken over. The Nigerian security agencies kill and arrest scores of kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals on a daily basis. Yet detractors claim that Buhari is not doing enough and NCEF thinks taking him to the EU Parliament is the solution. Where did they take Jonathan to when the North East was almost completely overrun under him? What kind of citizens drag their own country in the mud before foreigners? Nigerians are waiting to see how NCEF will succeed in its satanic mission.

“Concerning the allegation of Islamisation via the OIC, if Gowon, a Christian, took Nigeria to OIC (and he did) without Islamising Nigeria, if Obasanjo, also a Christian, attended OIC (and he did) without being Islamised, if Jonathan, another Christian, also attended OIC (and he did) without being Islamised, then this allegation is a mere tool constantly and indecently employed by professional blackmailers. Interestingly, it is used selectively, particularly when a Muslim is in power.

“We will not succumb to such cheap blackmail and we have no scintilla of doubt that the EU Parliament which is full of credible and intelligent democrats as well as other lovers of truth around the world will see through this gimmick. Do they even think the EU Parliament is made up of mischievous people like them? Do they think the rest of the world have not found out the truth about what is going on in Nigeria? They have merely exposed themselves for what they really are. Petitioning the EU Parliament with a document loaded with fabrications is petty, demeaning and unpatriotic.

“We are however miffed by the eagerness of our Christian neighbours to lie at will just to blackmail Muslim leaders. This clearly amplifies a major characteristic of the NCEF and its cohorts, namely, failure to practice the teachings of the scripture.

“One of the injunctions in the Ten Commandments says ‘Thou shall not lie’ (Exodus 20:16). Leviticus 19:11 says, ‘Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive one another’. Proverbs 13:5 refers to liars as shameless people, ‘The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves’. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul advised them against telling lies, ‘Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices’ (Colossians 3:9 – 11).

“We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore NCEF’s tantrums and continue his good work. Posterity will record him as the father of modern Nigeria, a nation that came out of the ruins of squandermania, moral debauchery, suicide-instilling roads and epileptic electricity to become one of the global best in transparency, probity, integrity and infrastructure.

“On a last note, we appreciate majority of Nigerian Christians who do not peddle or believe these diabolical lies. We reiterate that we are one with all righteous Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) to the letter. We appeal to Nigerians in general to seize the opportunity of Buhari’s credible leadership to join hands together with their Muslim neighbours in buiding a prosperous nation. We remind NCEF that it diminishes its corporate entity to run down its own country using unfounded allegations for parochial reasons. NCEF is advised to eschew lies. The world is now a global village. Therefore, NCEF cannot fool the EU Parliament.”

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Buhari's Actions Are Bigotry, Nepotic, Danjuma Was Right About Him - Col. Nyiam

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Buhari's Actions Are Bigotry, Nepotic, Danjuma Was Right About Him - Col. Nyiam

The mastermind of the April 21, 1990, failed coup, Col Tony Nyiam, retd, has said that the recent outburst by TY Danjuma was a direct indictment of President Muhammadu Buhari rather than the country’s Armed Forces.

According to Nyiam, the former Minister’s allegations did not indict the corporate establishment of the armed forces, but exposed President Buhari.

Nyiam spoke with Sun in Abuja on Tuesday, during the public presentation of ‘M.T. Mbu: Dignity in Service,’ an autobiography of Dr. Matthew Mbu, a former minister of Foreign Affairs, published posthumously by the Executive Chairman of Safari Books Limited, Chief Joop Berkhout.

He noted that, “What he was rather saying was that he was indicting the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”

Asked why he said so, Nyiam added, “Because, as it appeared, the armed forces is being used to promote and defend the interest of President Muhammadu Buhari’s kinsfolks’ interest.”

Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, had last month, at the maiden convocation/10th anniversary of Taraba State University, Jalingo, said there was an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the state and, of course, some rural states in Nigeria.

Danjuma further called on Nigerians to defend themselves. 

Buhari had told a group of Northern bishops, who visited him last week, that he is not a bigot that they thought he (Buhari) was.

But Nyiam insisted that, “The evidence seems contrary. It is not the talk, but the walk is different. What is my evidence?

“The whole 80 percent of the appointees to do with national security, that is, in terms of the Service Chiefs and Directors-General of security agencies; 80 percent are his tribe men. That is bigotry in action. It is not enough to say you are not a bigot. This is the issue.”

Nyiam further said what Danjuma said was not new and recalled a revelation by the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura, during a Senate summit on security that “some of the military arms that they found with the herdsmen, the sophisticated ones, are from the military and police armouries.”

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Defend Yourself Inline With The Law - Presidency Supports Danjuma's Call For Self Defence

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Defend Yourself Inline With The Law - Presidency Supports Danjuma's Call For Self Defence

 

A Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, yesterday backed calls by former Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd) that Nigerians should defend themselves against the unending violence in some parts of the country.

Shehu, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s political programme, Sunday Politics, however, warned that it must be within the ambit of the law.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with you defending yourself in line with the law,” he said.

“The security services in the country will probably not be telling Nigerians to do nothing when they come and attack,”

We reported that a day earlier, the Buhari-led government had appealed to prominent Nigerians, who have national influence, to watch what they say. 

Meanwhile, on the reaction of the President to the Former Defence Minister’s outburst, Shehu said he believed that President Buhari was taking the pleas made by Nigerians seriously in dealing with the issues raised.

“This is a listening government and the reaction then was of silence to say to them that we have heard you.

“We will listen to the useful advice you have given us. We will take what we can use from what you have said,” he noted.

The Presidential aide, however, exonerated the military of condoning attacks that have led to bloodshed in the land.

He was of the view that members of the Armed forces were there to defend citizens of the country even to their own detriment.

TY Danjuma had on March 24 accused the military of complicity in the killings within Taraba, Benue and other “riverine states” in the country.

According to Danjuma, during a convocation ceremony of Taraba State University, “The peace in this state is under assault. There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in this state and, of course, in all the riverine state of Nigeria. We must resist it. We must stop it. Every one of us must rise up,”

Following his outburst, many Nigerians have expressed their views, with many criticizing the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for failing to address the security challenges in parts of the country.

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Islamic Group Slams Danjuma For His Self Defence Comment

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Islamic Group Slams Danjuma For His Self Defence Comment

 

A Muslim group, the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), yesterday criticised a former minister of defence Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) over his comment against the military and for asking Nigerians to defend themselves.

We reported that Danjuma, at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba state University in Jalingo, Taraba state capital, advised Nigerians to defend themselves before killer herdsmen wiped them out.

The National Chairman of JIBWIS Ulama’u Council, Sheikh Muhammadu Sani Yahaya Jingir made the criticism yesterday in Abuja at the Annual Islamic Convention and appeal fund launch of the organisation.

“It is not advisable for an elder statesman, who was a former defence minister and chief of Army Staff to be calling on youths, who were graduating from a university to take up arms against the nation’s military and organised Federal Government as if we don’t have a government. He should be called to order,” Jingir said.

He also urged Nigerians to be law abiding and see themselves as each other’s brother’s keepers.

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Afenifere Reacts To Danjuma's Call For Self Defence, Urges UN To Investigate

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Afenifere Reacts To Danjuma's Call For Self Defence, Urges UN To Investigate

 

Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the United Nations, UN, Special Rapporteur on genocide to investigate what it called the alleged ethnic cleansing by herdsmen in Nigeria.

The call followed that of a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Theophelus Yakubu Danjuma, retd, who had at the weekend told Nigerians to defendthemselves against killings by Fulani herdsmen.

Rising from a meeting held at the country home of their national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere said Danjuma’s allegation of ethnic cleansing was weighty and damning.

Addressing reporters, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said, “the meeting noticed the recent comments on ethnic cleansing across the country and the complicity of the armed forces by General Theophilus Danjuma.

“Danjuma should be taken seriously because as former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister, he knows and has a deep knowledge of the military and could not have spoken in vain.

“The military, in responding to Danjuma’s allegations, claimed they are neutral in the one sided killing that is going on in Nigeria when those, who should enforce the law and ensure that the killing is stopped and killers are arrested, claimed neutrality when Nigerians are being slaughtered in droves.

“This is the greatest admission of the fact that their state aided genocide going on in Nigeria when the Army begins to claim responsibility.

“We demand, from Nigerian authorities, the immediate disarmament of the exclusive terror machine in the hands of herdsmen and the reorganisation of the architecture of security of Nigeria to reflect federal character.

“We ask the United Nations Special Rapporteur on genocide to investigate what is going on in Nigeria. If this disaster unfolds into full scale war, the international community would have a deep problem on its hands.”

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Herdsmen Killings: Uko Reacts To Danjuma's Comment, Asks Him To Apologise To Kanu, IPOB

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Herdsmen Killings: Uko Reacts To Danjuma's Comment, Asks Him To Apologise To Kanu, IPOB

Founder of Igbo Youth Movement, IYM, and Deputy Secretary of Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu Uko, has reacted to rtd. Gen. T Y Danjuma’s call for selfdefence against incessant killing of innocent Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen.

Uko said “Danjuma’s call on Nigerians to defend themselves came very late.”

He also said Danjuma and his group should apologise to Nnamdi Kanu and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, who had earlier made the call to deaf ears.

He said the call was what the former Defence Minister should have made “since the advent of this administration.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Uko said, “We are watching. The only thing new is that Danjuma has confirmed what everybody has suspected about the military, which is that they have been protecting the killer herdsmen.

“The call on Nigerians to defend themselves against ethnic cleansing by Fulani herdsmen is belated.

“We had known that President Buhari’s agenda in appointing his kinsmen as heads of all the security agencies in the country was to protect the killer herdsmen in the heinous crimes against humanity.

“The security architecture is to allow his Fulani people embark on their Islamic Jihad or expansionist tendencies.

“Danjuma and his group should apologise to the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who saw the emerging scenario and alerted Nigerians over the issue about four years ago.”

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Gov. Ortom Of Benue State Reacts To Danjuma's Self Defence Comment

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Gov. Ortom Of Benue State Reacts To Danjuma's Self Defence Comment

Governor of Benue State on Monday reacted to the statement by former minister of defence, retired Gen. T. Y. Danjuma that Nigerians should defend themselves from possible attacks by aggressors.

NAIJA VOICE had reported that Danjuma, while speaking during the weekend at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba state University in Jalingo, urgedNigerians to defend themselves against ethnic cleansing.

According to him, it was regrettable that the Nigeria Army was no more neural in the fight against terrorism in the country.

Reacting, Ortom said the statement making the rounds was a misrepresentation of Danjuma’s statement.

He stated this after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

Ortom said “I’m not sure that if you listened to him very well. It is a misrepresentation of what the former minister said.

“He did not tell anybody to take up arms. He only said that people should protect themselves.

“Of course, you know that self-preservation is the first law of nature.

“You can’t just wait in your house and allow someone to come and kill you. You can resist the person, but you don’t necessarily need to have arms. I think that was what the minister was saying.

“There is need for people to arise to defend themselves not necessarily using weapons that are banned. You can use a stick and disarm someone.

“Some years ago, I was able to disarm armed robbers with seven AK 47 without anything. I think that is the kind of thing he is trying to say. Nigerians should rise up to do this.

“Security matters are not just left in the hands of security men, it requires every one of us to put our heads together and be courageous to be able to surmount it,’’ he said.

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Fani Kayode Slams Buhari, Says Obasanjo, Babangida, Danjuma Have Rejected You

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Fani Kayode Slams Buhari, Says Obasanjo, Babangida, Danjuma Have Rejected You

‎Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has claimed that former Nigerian presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, have rejected President Muhammadu Buhari.

Fani-Kayode was reacting to Bill Gates’ statement, where he said he “could not keep silent” about the situation in the West African nation.

He wrote on his Twitter page: ‘”I am worried and saddened by the direction of the present Nigerian government and I could not keep silent’- Bill Gates.

“OBJ, IBB, T.Y. Danjuma, Amnesty Int., Transparancy Int., IMF, Afenifere, Ohaeneze, Middle Belt Forum, Niger Delta Elders and Bill Gates have rejected u.”

In an interview with Cable News Network (CNN) on Monday, Gates insisted that the federal government’s investments in young people, especially in areas of health and education were not good enough.

He added that Nigeria would become an engine of growth if the government got health and education right.

“As a partner in Nigeria, I am saying the current plan is inadequate. Nigeria has all these young people and the current quality and quantity of investment in these young generations; in health and education just isn’t good enough. So, I was very direct,” he told CNN.

“If they can get health and education right, they will be an engine of growth not just for themselves but for all of Africa,” he had said.

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Herdsmen Killings: Military Reacts To Danjuma's Call On Nigerians To Defend Themselves

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Herdsmen Killings: Military Reacts To Danjuma's Call On Nigerians To Defend Themselves 

‎The Ministry of Defence has said that it had received reports from Nigerians on the misconduct of soldiers as regards the farmers and herdsmen's clashes.

It said it has also put such soldiers through “disciplinary procedures.”

Former Defence chief, General TY Danjuma had on Saturday at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba state University in Jalingo, Taraba state capital, urged Nigerians to defend themselves against the incessant killing by Fulani herdsmen.

He also accused the Nigerian army of inappropriate conducts in handling the clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

The ministry told Punch that it has, however, not received any of such reports from Taraba State, adding that people were free to bring their complaints on the activities of the troops.

Spokesperson for the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, Col. Tukur Gusau, spoke with Punch on Monday.

He said the government could not work with “general comments or allegations, if no specific report was made to the military authorities.”

Gusau said, “We have the Human Rights violation desk in all the formations of the Nigerian Army and a similar channel in the other arms of the military.

“Nigerians can also come directly to the Ministry of Defence.

“They can go to the Nigerian Army headquarters. Our doors are always open.

“If a soldier on duty has done something you feel is inappropriate, you have a duty to report that soldier. The office of the defence minister is open to everyone.

“The era where civilians are afraid of military actions is gone. Yes, we have been having such reports about the misconduct of soldiers in the theatre of operation.

“Nigerians have been coming to report incidents and we have been taking care of them. There have been disciplinary procedures.

“Soldiers have been put through disciplinary procedures.

“We have not received anything yet from Taraba State. We need to work on specific things.

“To my knowledge, we didn’t receive anything in respect of our operations in Taraba State.”

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Herdsmen Killings: These Killers Are Protected By The Military, Defend Yourself Or You Will All Die - TY Danjuma Tells Nigerians

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Herdsmen Killings: These Killers Are Protected By The Military, Defend Yourself Or You Will All Die - TY Danjuma Tells Nigerians

‎The former Minister for Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma has called on Nigerians to defend themselves before they all die.

The politician said Nigerians should defend themselves against ethnic cleansing.

He gave this warning on Saturday at the maiden convocation ceremony of Taraba state University in Jalingo, Taraba state capital.

Danjuma said the unnecessary killings which is a target to ethnic cleansing on the people of Taraba and Nigeria at large must stop.

He called on the people to “rise and defend themselves against the killers. ”

He added, “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 cleansing 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 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.”

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