Igbo Quit Notice: Northern Elders Forum Backs Ultimatum, Chides Northern Governors

•Uhuru condemns Anti-Igbo threat

•As Igbos in Kano laments ill treatment by northerners

By Chukwuemeka Chimerue

For Biafra Writers

ZARIA— Spokesperson for the Northern Elders’ Forum, NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi, yesterday in Zaria, expressed support to the call by the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups for Igbos to vacate the region within three months after condemning the Northern Governors Forum for disowning the youth group.

Abdullahi said it was hypocritical for the Igbos to continue to live in other parts of the country while agitating for Nigeria’s breakup, reiterating that he was disappointed in the decision taken by Northern Governors’ Forum in disowning and condemning the agitation by the “young, agile and progressive youth group”.

He stated that whoever that feels that Nigeria is not conducive for him should quit, noting that what the Northern youth group did was not a sin.

He lamented that none of the Northern governors reacted to the persistent call for the actualization of Biafra and other agitations.

However, the national leader of Hope Democratic Party, HDP, Ambrose Uhuru, yesterday in Abuja, attributed the anti-Igbo threat by coalition of Northern youths to the religious and ethnic intolerance in the country which he said must be addressed urgently.

Uhuru who condemned the ultimatum said it is indicative that the seed of division in the country which according to him, was made worse by the toxic campaign by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the 2015 general elections.

The former presidential candidate noted that the division in the country needed to be addressed, stressing that various sectional groups are also hiding under religion to fuel hatred and incite crisis in the country.

Uhuru, therefore called for a regulation of religion in the country to curb extremism and hate speech which he said could lead to social disturbances.

Meanwhile Igbos in Kano state have lamented the cruel and biased treatment meted on them by the Kano state government and other indigenes of the state who doesn’t want their peaceful co-existence, even before the quit ultimatum was issued by the members of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF.

This was revealed to our sources who visited Kano state on Wednesday from an eye witness who cried out for help from what they described as indirect looting mostly targeted at the Igbos especially in Sabon-gari market and other Igbo dominated markets, where it was gathered that the Kano state government have engaged the use of armed forces such as DSS, police force, touts, civil defense, task-forces and various degrees of uniformed men to forcefully take away the goods and other valuables belonging to the Igbo market men and women, who deals on goods ranging from clothing materials, provisions, pharmaceutical drugs, Gold, and other wares which is solely their family’s source of income and survival.

Also, one of the marketers who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the worst part of it all is that the Kano state government has devised deceptive means to block their goods from coming into the state or going out, and also taking away forcefully the ones they have at hand without any good reason for this.

He lamented that in spite of their 90% contributions in developing the state to what it is today, they were being treated unfairly, pointing out that those goods which has been forcefully taken away from them with impunity are given to their Almajiris and other poor beggars including street urchins who hardly know the worth of those goods which they have been showered with.

Efforts made by our sources to reach the Kano state police commissioner on his telephone lines proved abortive, and other uniformed agencies who were alleged to have been involved in this dastardly acts have equally refused to comment or respond to the subject matter.