The Senate will on Wednesday debate the call by former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Danjuma, on Nigerians to defend themselves against the spate of killings in the country.
The decision followed a point of order raised at plenary by Senator Yusuf Yusuf (APC-Taraba) on Tuesday.
The lawmaker said that the issue raised by Danjuma was a crucial one which should be investigated by the Senate.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, after a voice vote, ruled in favour of the need to debate the issue.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of Taraba State University, Jalingo, on Saturday, Danjuma declared the need for Nigerians to defend themselves.
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According to him, it was pointless depending on the armed forces for safety.
“You must rise to protect yourselves from these people. If you depend on the armed forces for protection, you will all die one by one.
“The ethnic cleansing must stop now, otherwise, Somalia will be a child’s play. I ask everyone of you to be on the alert and defend your country, defend your territory, defend your state because you have nowhere else to go.
“The armed forces are not neutral. They are conniving with the armed bandits that are killing people,” he said.
The military has since reacted, insisting that it had remained neutral in the clashes involving herdsmen and farmers.
In the statement by its spokesman, Texas Chukwu, the Nigerian Army warned all Nigerians to be law abiding, stressing that anyone caught with arms would be dealt with.