A detachment of the Nigerian military, the Special Task Force – Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), on Monday, issued a statement that covertly countered the statement of President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday on the carnage in Jos, Plateau State. While the President urged communities in Jos to unite against attacks, the Special Task Force admonished residents of Jos to desist from self-defence.
Also, the Minister of Defence, retired Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi, had penultimate week challenged Nigerian citizens not to “be cowards”, but be bold to stand against bandits in the country.
The Minister had challenged Nigerians to self-defence after bandits kidnapped 27 students and several other persons from the Government Science Secondary School, Kagara, Niger State, north central Nigeria.
The military Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in a statement in Jos on Monday by the Media Officer, Major Ishaku Takwa, issued a warning to residents of Jos to desist from taking the law into their hands in the guise of self-defence.
Major Takwa disagreed with the consistent call on residents of Plateau State to defend themselves. He, however, noted that such calls would escalate the security challenges in the state.
Calls for self-defence did not resonate from Plateau State. Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State had also called on the people of Katsina to organize and defend themselves against the ravaging bandits in the state.
Major Takwa in the statement declared: “We have noted several reports in the media by some highly placed individuals calling on law-abiding citizens of Plateau to resort to defending themselves in the face of the security challenge experienced in the state.
“We wish to assure the good people of the state that OPSH is committed to protecting the lives and property of all.
“We have improved on our responses to distress calls and several attacks were prevented from happening lately.
“These successes were possible due to the trust and provision of timely and credible information from the good people of the state.
“We, therefore, urge law-abiding citizens of the state not take laws into their hands but to continue to provide us with such information to enable us to protect communities from attacks.’’
He appealed to citizens of Plateau State to continue to provide support to security agencies in their efforts to restore lasting peace and security in the state.
President Buhari had in a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, acknowledged that to achieve success in the efforts to combat insecurity and wanton killings in Plateau State, communities must unite against the horrific attacks. The president also said that religious, traditional, and other community leaders must not allow the use of their spaces for the propagation of violence and incitement to violence, adding that security personnel are being reinforced in the troubled communities.
The president’s statement read in part: “The Presidency wishes to assure all citizens that as a government, the administration is on top of events and is moving ahead with force to crush the perpetrators of the recent incidents of unrest in Plateau State.
“But to achieve success, our communities must unite against these horrific attacks. Retributive violence is not the answer.
“While these troubled communities are being reinforced with security personnel, our religious, traditional, and other community leaders must not allow the use of their spaces for the propagation of violence and incitement to violence.”
“But, increasingly, due to population pressure, the increased aridity of northern states, and climate change they are forced to travel further south to find grazing lands.
“As for Nigerians, what we need is to come together. And we must do this first and for the most part by our own hands, by casting asunder those who seek to divide us for their own nefarious financial and political gain.”
The Minister of Defence, retired Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi, on the Kagara kidnap incident in Niger State, declared: “We shouldn’t be cowards.
“I don’t know why people are running away from minor, minor, minor things like that.
“They should stand. Let these people know that even the villagers have the competence and capability to defend themselves.”
The issue of self-defence had earlier emanated from the government of the country, and not just from non-state actors.