The leaders of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, have said that the threat of arrest by the government of Kaduna State will not stop them from insisting that people of Igbo extraction should leave the north.
The group, a coalition of some northern groups, insisted on its stance that Igbos leave the 19 northern states within three months.
One of the leaders of the group, who read their declaration on Tuesday, Abdulaziz Suleiman, said they held a meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday after the threat of arrest and decided that “there will be no retreat, no surrender”.
Mr. Abdulaziz, the National Coordinator of Northern Emancipation Network, NEN, informed PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone on Wednesday evening that contrary to the position by Kaduna State government, they are not advocating violence.
“Our declaration did not mention violence at all. The Igbo have consistently insisted that they don’t want to be in Nigeria, let them therefore, go back to their places
“They don’t believe in Nigeria, so, we also don’t believe in them,” he said.
Mr. Suleiman also accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State of playing politics over the matter.
If AREWA and its leaders “DO NOT ADVOCATE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE IGBOS” (as the group claims), what does AREWA plan to do if the Igbos do not “pack up and go” as AREWA demands?? Of course, Igbos should by NO MEANS WHATEVER LEAVE FROM ANYWHERE IN NIGERIA WHERE THEY HAVE ALWAYS LIVED BY CHOICE. In any case, it is long past time, that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT of NIGERIA stepped forward and state in the strongest terms that it will NOT tolerate such brazen threats against its citizens, no matter what ethnic extraction!!!! Absent of such a statement, the likes of AREWA will be busy creating mayhem which Nigeria cannot afford to be dealing with….again!! Remember Boko Haram?
If AREWA and its leaders “DO NOT ADVOCATE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE IGBOS” (as the group claims), what does AREWA plan to do if the Igbos do not “pack up and go” as AREWA demands?? Of course, Igbos should by NO MEANS WHATEVER LEAVE FROM ANYWHERE IN NIGERIA WHERE THEY HAVE ALWAYS LIVED BY CHOICE. In any case, it is long past time, that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT of NIGERIA stepped forward and state in the strongest terms that it will NOT tolerate such brazen threats against its citizens, no matter what ethnic extraction!!!! Absent of sukch a statement, the likes of AREWA will be busy creating mayhem which Nigeria cannot afford to be dealing with….again!! Remember Boko Haram?