Biafra: Northern Governors Disown Arewa Youths, Call For Arrest

Governors of the 19 Northern States of the federation yesterday disowned a coalition of Arewa Youths who reportedly issued an ultimatum to Igbos to vacate the Northern part of the country within three months or be forced to leave.
The governors urged easterners living in the North not to panic, saying they were in touch with heads of their security agencies and have taken measures that will guarantee the rights of all Nigerians to live in any of the 19 states in the three geo-political zones within the region.
The governors’ position was made public by chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima who spoke on behalf of his colleagues in Maiduguri yesterday evening.
Accordingly, the governors directed security agencies to arrest the youths and probe the motive behind the call, which they described as a suspicious act that falls in line with recent trend of arms catch, coup rumours that may not be coincidental.
Shettima said, “On behalf of the governors of the 19 Northern states, we totally condemn such irresponsible pronouncements by those groups. We condemn, we disown, and we are totally distancing ourselves from those faceless groups who don’t have the mandate of the people of Northern Nigeria to make such loud pronouncements.
“Section 41, Subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very explicit in safeguarding the rights of all Nigerians to reside in any part of the country with no hindrance whatsoever. But then, when you see a toad dancing in the broad daylight, the drummer is not far off from the main road. We wish to call on the security agencies to beam their lenses on these groups and unearth the faces behind the mask.
“Some months back, there were cases of importation of arms, illegal importation of arms intercepted at the ports. Then we started hearing rumours of a coup d’etat. Now, a group, or a bunch of groups that do not have the mandate of the people came up with remarks capable of destabilizing the north and the country as a whole”.
Disowning the youth groups, Shettima declared that the governors of Northern Nigeria do not in anyway align themselves with the said ultimatum, adding that Nigeria is one nation tied to a common destiny.
Warning that the governors will take whatever measures that are necessary to safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians living in any part of the North, Shettima said, “I am in contact with most of my colleagues, and they are all talking to heads of security establishments in their respective domains because we cannot afford to take chances. We cannot afford to toil with the destiny of this country.
“The 19 Northern Governors wish to call on our brothers of Igbo descent to remain calm and go about their legitimate businesses. Nobody can dare to intimidate, harass or dehumanize them in any of the 19 Northern States, our Governors will not allow that”.






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