The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has kicked against the appeal by the Indigenous People Of Biafra for the Middle Belt people to join its sit-at-home campaign.
In a statement by Yerima Shettima, the Arewa Youths National President, the group said the Northern region will not be a party to “a deliberate, politically-motivated plan to undermine or worsen the nation’s current security challenges.”.
The AYCF said the North had come a long way in understanding the use of constitutional and democratic means of channelling legitimate grievances, and could not therefore, be a party to any undemocratic move.
The group added that since the governors of the South-East seem to be satisfied with the activities of IPOB, “we hope they will continue with the sit-at-home for another ten years and we wish them the very best of luck. We know the South-East is IPOB’s home but exporting their activities to the North will be faced with massive resistance from all lovers of peace in the North”.
It called on northern governors to take punitive measures against anyone sympathising with activities of IPOB.
It added, “We call on Northern Governors to step up action in order to ensure this outlawed terror gang called IPOB does not infiltrate the region. We also expect the governors to ensure that any Northerner who shuts down his shop in solidarity with IPOB, should have that shop sealed forever.
“And for the avoidance of doubt, we will not fold our arms and watch the North get further destabilised by a violent strategy, whether in Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Niger or any state in Northern Nigeria because our hands are already full with challenges of insecurity and we are praying fervently day and night to find lasting peace.”
AYCF also condemned what it described as the use of killings and arson to press home a demand that the democratic process in existence would have to take care of.
