By kawaekwune Jeffrey
A Former Chief of Army Staff and one time Nigeria’s minister of Defence, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd), has called on the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, and other top military officers to swiftly put an end to banditry and killings across the country.
Danjuma made the call on Tuesday, during the presentation of a book, entitled “Big Boots: Lessons From My Military Service”, authored by Maj -Gen Solomon Udounwa (retd).
It would be recalled that banditry and kidnapping have badly affected some states in the North especially Zamafara, Yobe, Borno, amongst others.
Speaking to military officers at the event, Danjuma emphasized the need for urgent action, stressing that there should be no excuses in tackling the ongoing violence.
Danjuma said: “We must end the banditry and the killings that are going on in our country as soon as possible. The responsibilities are on your shoulders; those of you who are still serving. No excuses, absolutely no excuses. God bless you. God bless our country.”
In response, Gen Musa assured the former COAS that the military would not be deterred by the challenges faced in the fight against banditry. He promised that the Nigerian Armed Forces is committed to restoring peace across the nation.
Musa vowed: “We shall not be deterred. I want to assure you that we have learnt so much from your records. We cannot afford to fail and we will not fail.”
It would be recalled that a recent reports had indicated that bandits abducted over 7,500 people in the past year and collected ₦1.04 billion in ransom, with Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states being the most affected.
