Ortom: Danjuma didn’t ask anyone to take up arms

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, says Theophilus Danjuma, a former minister of defence, has been misunderstood.

At the weekend, Danjuma called on Nigerians to defend themselves against killers, accusing the Nigerian army of bias.

This brought about different interpretations of what the elder statesman said, with many accusing him of calling for anarchy.

But speaking with journalists after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa on Tuesday, Ortom said Danjuma did not ask anyone to pick up arms.

The governor said there is a need for Nigerians to defend themselves using weapons that are not banned.

“There 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,” he said.

“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 that was what the minister was saying.

Ortom said he reminded the president about his promise to rehabilitate internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue state.

“Also to intimate him on the plight of over 175,000 IDPs that we have in eight camps. They have expressed their desire to go back home,” the governor said.

“And Mr. President is very passionate about their plight and have assured me that government will swing into action to ensure that rehabilitation is done to those homes of those that were displaced.”