Nahum Sule, Jalingo
The Takum Youths Progressive Forum(TYPF) an activist group base in Taraba berate the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja in an Interview on Channels TV where he accused Gen. T Y Danjuma (rtd), over the killings and destruction in southern Taraba.
In a statement issue by the public related officer Mr. Emmanuel Tikari It says it’s unimaginable to link Gen Danjuma(rtd) to such a mess.
According to the statement it says “No General of the Nigerian Armed Forces, serving or retired, would be so daft to put forward such accusations against a patriot who dedicated his life serving Nigeria”.
“Even the President who is the commander of arms forces would not issue such an order to the Military. Or is COAS confused? That is why we have every reason to disagree with the position of the COAS, and we insist that those accusations in that interview against Gen. Danjuma (rtd) were completely baselessly uncalled for. In any case, who knows if the COAS is in possession of evidences of where, when and how such requests and expectations were made available or made known to him by the retired General”.
“Of course, the COAS’s sudden diversion from discussing the performances of his troops as per security in the last one year, to focusing on Gen TY Danjuma’s utterances at the reception of the new Chief of Takum, which practically had no bearing with his topic of discussion, and which he, (COAS) instead emphasised that he listened to, gave the impression that he was acting a script or have had a plan in mind to attack Gen TY Danjuma and was just looking for the opportunity to do so. The erroneous outburst of the COAS gave kudos to enemies of peace and unity in southern Taraba State to celebrate and to hail the COAS for his supposed ‘courage’ to blast the the highly revered retired Genera”.
“The COAS was also heard saying in the interview that “Gen TY Danjuma belongs to an ethnic group that has security challenges and he lives there”. The question may be asked; which ethnic group and what security challenges? Did Gen. TY Danjuma(rtd) make mention of any security challenges in his speech at the reception of the new Chief of Takum on May 18, 2024? And if the Army Chief knows Gen. TY Danjuma’s ethnic group, can he provide proofs that Gen Danjuma’s ethnic group was involved in any kinetic conflict with any of the ethnic groups in Takum his home town? This apparent mix-up in the COAS’s response is a clear indication that he does not have a good grip of the situation on ground, or perhaps he was misled by some poorly-collected reports and intelligence”.
Tikari who further state that Takum, the town of origin of Gen TY Danjuma(rtd), had a vacant First Class stool for nearly three decades due to Chieftaincy dispute. Stressing that the incumbent Governor of Taraba State, H.E Dr Agbu Kefas, installed a new Chief of Takum via an instrument that carries all the indigenous ethnic groups along.
