Buhari and Salihi
Nigerians have lambasted the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Minister of Defence, Major-Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi for calling Nigerians cowards.
He made the comment on Thursday, February 18.
He spoke after students of Kagara college in Niger state were abducted. He said Nigerians should stop being “cowards” and face armed bandits whenever they are attacked.
The defence minister said he does not know the reason people take to their feet whenever their attackers fire shots.
Magashi boasted that during his generation, there was a substantial resistance to retaliate attacks from criminal elements, adding that ”it is the responsibility of everybody to be alert.”
“We shouldn’t be cowards. Sometimes bandits come with about three rounds of ammunition and when they fire shots everybody will run. In our younger days, we stand to fight any form of aggression. Why should people run away from minor, minor aggressions?
“We should stand and face them. If these people know that the people have the competence and capability to defend themselves, they will run away.”
The statement of the defence minister, however, did not augur well with Nigerians who have taken to social media to brutally criticise him.
Emma Umeh wrote:
“The minister of defence is calling on Nigerians to defend themselves against Bandits (Terrorist), he wants us to defend ourselves against people that are carrying guns &using RPGs, with our bare hands. Meanwhile, this same man has one of the best security, protecting him. It’s well.
A lawyer, Jag Ganiyu also wrote:
“I realised early on that in terms of security, we have to fend for ourselves. The minister of Defence said nothing new.”
Omotayo also wrote:
“It’s very easy to gain a spot in Buhari’s administration, just be incompetent, useless and back it up with lies foolishness, imagine what the minister of defence is spitting out, will they defend themselves if bandits attack one of their clueless gatherings in Abuja?”
Sam Jonah wrote:
“Minister of Defence said we should defend ourselves against bandits and stop being cowards, the same bandits with RPGs. What type of one chance is this?”
Umeh also wrote:
“Minister of defence said he will collect taxpayers money and not do his job. He also said if you hear bandits shooting AK47 and run you’re a coward. Finally, he said they won’t legalize guns, that the Jet Lee movies you’ve watched is enough training for you to fight.”
Popular comedian, Frank Donga, also tweeted;
“When a serving minister of DEFENCE who has 24-hrs protection by loads of ARMED officers calls poor unarmed citizens COWARDS for not fighting ARMED bandits, you know there is trouble.”
