The Nigerian police has taken measures to protect the lives of Igbos living in the North following the disturbing threat issued against Igbos living in Northern Nigeria by a coalition of prominent youth groups.
In a statement signed by Jimoh Moshood, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, the 3-month ultimatum is viewed by the police “as illegal, unlawful, provocative and capable of causing breach of the peace currently being enjoyed across the country”.
The full statement, which was e-mailed to The Trent on Thursday, June 8, 2017, below:
RE: -JOINT POSITION PAPER BY THE AREWA CITIZENS ACTION FOR CHANGE, AREWA YOUTH CONSULTATIVE FORUM, AREWA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, AREWA STUDENTS FORUM AND NORTHERN EMANCIPATION NETWORK ON THE IGBO PERSISTENCE FOR SECESSION
The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to publications in the media accredited to the Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum and Northern Emancipation Network on the Igbo Persistence for Secession, on their alleged ultimatum to Nigerians of Igbo extraction residing in the Northern Nigeria to relocate within three (3) months.
The Nigeria Police Force sees this ultimatum by the above mentioned groups as illegal, unlawful, provocative and capable of causing breach of the peace currently being enjoyed across the country.
Consequently, the Inspector General of Police has directed all Commissioners of Police in charge of Police State Commands in the Country and their supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police in the Zonal Commands of the Federation to beef up security in their respective States and ensure that the alleged ultimatum is not actualized.
They are under strict instructions to maintain law and order and to sustain the protection of fundamental rights of every Nigerian as provided for by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, particularly sections 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 which are very sacrosanct and must be protected.
Every Nigerian including the Igbo or any other ethnic group have the rights to life, personal liberty, freedom of movement and the right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria. No individual (s) or group (s) under any course, guise or excuse have the right to issue any ultimatum or warning to compel any Nigerian to leave or relocate from or to any part of the country without their wish.
The Nigeria Police Force is imploring all well meaning Nigerians most especially the People of Igbo extraction to disregard the alleged ultimatum and go about their lawful engagements and other activities without fear or apprehension as adequate security arrangements have been put in place by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to protect them and their properties across the Northern States and other parts of the Country. They should report any suspicious/untoward happenings observed in their neighbourhoods to the nearest Police station.
As a result the Force is calling on Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum and Northern Emancipation Network on the Igbo Persistence for Secession, to desist forthwith the ultimatum and any further act that can precipitate tension and cause breach of the peace anywhere in the country.
The Nigeria Police Force is closely monitoring the activities of these groups and will apply full weight of the law on any violator of the law or anyone who attempt to molest, mistreat, panic and cause fear in the mind of any other Nigerian anywhere in the country.
The Force wishes to advise traditional rulers, opinion leaders, religious leaders, parents and guardians to prevail on their subjects, adherents, children and wards not to allow themselves to be used by any group (s) to cause disturbance of public peace, and unleash mayhem on innocent Nigerians anywhere in the country.
The Nigeria Police Force will continue to respect the diversity of the people and ensure that the rule of law prevails everywhere in the country.
Leave The North By October 1 – Arewa Groups Warn Igbos
A coalition of prominent groups in Northern Nigeria on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 issued an ultimatum to Igbos living in the north to return home by October 1, 2017 or else they will face a situation similar to the pre-civil war pogroms visited on their kin in the 1960s.
The order was contained in an error-ridden statement, obtained by The Trent, issued after a meeting in Kaduna State. The groups, Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum, and the Northern Emancipation Network, asked the Igbo residing in the region to “start making plans to leave.”
The chilling statement condemned the renewed call for the independent republic of Biafra and also expressed disdain for the Igbos and their culture saying that “the Igbo people of the South-East, not repentant of the carnage it wrought on the nation in 1966, is today boldly reliving those sinister intentions connoted by the Biafran agitation that led to the very first bloody insurrection in Nigeria’s history”.
In 1966, the Igbos were the victims of the largest genocide in Nigeria’s history with over 100,000 of them killed in Northern Nigeria by northern mobs. This pogrom led to the declaration of the Republic of Biafra which led to the Nigerian civil war in which over 3 million Igbos died.
