Tension has sparked around the fragile state of Nigeria’s existence as Arewa youths of Kaduna state during their annual meeting on Tuesday 6th June gave a declaration dubbed the “Kaduna declaration.” This declaration demands that all Igbo’s leave the Northern area of the country before the 1st of October 2017, which is the nation’s Independence Day.
At the end of their meeting, the group made it known that they were tired of the 1914 amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates that birthed the entity Nigeria. They further stated that their complain arose from the shut-down of major towns in the South Eastern part of the country on May 30th by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and their sponsors.
“The persistence for the actualisation of Biafra by the unruly Igbo of South-Eastern Nigeria has lately assumed another alarming twist, which involved the forceful lockdown of activities and denial of other people’s right to free movement in the South-East by the rebel Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its overt and covert sponsors,” said Mallam Abdulazeez Suleiman, the spokesman of the group.
“This latest action and similar confrontational conducts, which amount to a brutal encroachment on the rights of those termed as non-indigenous people residing and doing lawful businesses in those areas illegally demarcated and defined as Biafra by the Igbo, are downright unacceptable and shall no longer be tolerated.”
As of June 7th, Afenifere, Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Ohaneze Ndigbo, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) and renowned lawyer Fani Kayode have spoken out against the declaration made by the Arewa youths. All of which Indicate how such threats can lead to a possible divide of the nation.
Afenifere
The Pan-Yoruba political organisation, Afenifere has warned that the declaration for the Igbo’s to leave the North may be the beginning of the end of Nigeria.
Yinka Odumakin, the spokesperson for the group, described the action as tragic and further called on the elders in the north to call them to order.
“Carrying out their threats would be a prelude to another pogrom. These elements have over the years showed their propensity to attack people, but like the Chinua Achebe said, they are holding a knife to the tiny rope that still holds the country together. I hope that if they still have elders, their elders should call them to order, otherwise, it may be the beginning of the end of Nigeria, as we know it,” he said.
Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra’s (MASSOB)
The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) indicated that Ndigbo’s should not wait for the three-month before leaving the region.
According to MASSOB leader, Comrade Uche Madu, the quit notice did not come as a “surprise.”
“MASSOB is aware that such rascality will happen. As a matter of fact, this is the only rascality exhibited by sponsored Arewa youths to forcefully exit the people of Biafra residing in Arewa land that MASSOB will 100 per cent support. Their Boko Haram tactics didn’t work as planned. We pledge our total support towards this divinely approved quit notice.
“MASSOB congratulates the Arewa political, religious, traditional and opinion leaders who sponsored their youths wing by using Arewa House in Kaduna for this greatest meeting of a coalition of Islamic fundamentalist.”
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Okey Nwosu, described the ultimatum as a threat to the unity of the country.
“When some elders led by President Buhari were doing certain things, some of us cautioned. Let the APC and Buhari deal with what they have caused,” he stated.
Igbo Youth Movement (IYM)
Evang. Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, founder of the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), said Ndigbo are not scared by the quit order.
“The statement from a hitherto unknown northern group is primed to deliver a message to the whole world that some people prefer bloodshed to peaceful restructuring of Nigeria.
“The non-existent group merely represents an attempt by the sectional security apparatchiks to intimidate the struggle to reconstruct Nigeria, in their blind and unintelligent attempt to sustain the clearly unworkable status quo,” he said.
Ohaneze Ndigbo
The Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Chuks Ibegbu, called on the Department of State Services and the police, to take immediate steps to forestall any plan to launch attacks against the Igbo in the North.
“The DSS, the police and other security agencies should take note of the statement by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum and the other Northern groups for issuing this threat against the Igbo.
“It should not be seen as an empty threat; urgent action is needed to foil the plan to attack the Igbo in the North. It happened in the past and we don’t want it to happen again,” he said.
Fani Kayode
Femi Fani-Kayode, Former Minister of Aviation and renowned lawyer, has said that there will be grave consequences if Igbo’s were kicked out of the North.
“Threatening the Igbo and kicking them out of the north won’t help. This time round the Middle Belt and the whole south will stand with them.”
“We want peace by restructuring and not violence. Unleashing genocide against the Igbo or anyone else in north will have grave consequences,” he added.
Several other sections and groups have also voiced out certain displeasure with the “Kaduna declaration” and called on the government to take proper actions against it so as to avoid a possible divide of the nation.
Although the federal government is yet to release an official statement on the present situation, the people of Nigeria need to be assured that despite the threats and agitations, the nation is still on the course of unity.
