Defence minister’s comment, admission of failure by Buhari administration — Afenifere

PAN-YORUBA group, Afenifere has said the comment of the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd.), on the growing insecurity across the country, is an admission of failure by the Buhari administration.

Afenifere berated the Minister for being insensitive for asking Nigerians to defend themselves against AK-47  wielding bandits.

The group added that the current government in power has been overwhelmed by the security challenges confronting the country and can’t  discharge its prime constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizens.

The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said this in an exclusive interview with Punch today.

He said, “The comment of the defence minister shows that Buhari has failed. Are we supposed to defend ourselves with bare hands when they (criminals) are with guns? Only Fulani herdsmen are carrying AK-47 all over Nigeria today and you are asking us to defend ourselves with bare hands against AK-47?

“The token from that statement is that we (Buhari regime) have failed, we can no longer defend you. That was what he (Magashi) was telling us.”

On the rampant attacks by nomadic herdsmen on host farmers in the South-West region, the Afenifere spokesman said any attempt to seek “ethnic justice” will lead to genocide.

He said, “Any attempt to seek ethnic justice most times lead to genocide. That is why we have refrained, and cautioned against people seeking ethnic justice. But with the way Buhari is going, he is pushing people to that level where they may have to seek justice on their own.”

Continuing, Odumakin said, “There is nothing like farmer-herder clashes, it is a lie by the Buhari government. What we have is herders’ terrorism against farmers. You send your wife to the farm, they waylay her and rape her, and say it is a clash. What clash is in that? The word, ‘clash’ is from the Federal Government, it is from Aso Rock, it is a lie from the pit of hell. What we are having is terrorising by the Fulani herdsmen.”

Odumakin’s comment came against the background of the Magashi’s comment on the state of security in the country captured in a viral video by AIT last night.

The Minister of Defence had said, “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and to find safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards.

“At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, when they fire shots everybody runs. In our younger days, we stand to fight any aggression coming for us.”