The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has expressed concern over what they called the “nonchalant attitude” of governors of Southern parts of the country, particularly Abia and Rivers, on the killing of Northerners and destruction of their businesses and assets.
This was contained in a statement signed by the AYCF’s National President, Yerima Shettima after its emergency meeting in Kaduna.
The participants noted that unless the Southern governors assume that the lives of Northerners do not matter, saying that they have a duty to compensate the families of those killed in Abia and Rivers for committing no fault.
The group lamented that the latest round of wanton attacks on Northerners and destruction of their businesses, including multimillion naira worth of trucks loaded with goods.
The forum expressed concern over the razing of markets where Northerners are the majority, stressing that the attacks are either a deliberate provocation or possibly a planned of ethnic cleansing agenda.
AYCF reiterated that the Nigerian constitution guarantees the free movement and interactions amongst the citizenry, without let or hindrance.
Consequently, the forum demands that the governors of the affected states where innocent Northern traders and businessmen were attacked for no reason should do the needful.
It said Nigeria as a nation has passed that stage where organized attack on any ethnic group would definitely be resisted by men and women of conscience.
The Forum also urged the civil society to rise to the occasion by drawing the attention of all relevant authorities and stakeholders to what they called “brazen” attacks on innocent Northerners in Abia and Port Harcourt.
The forum noted that if nothing is done to address the wanton killings and destruction of Northerners businesses and assets in Abia and Port Harcourt, they shall resort to all legal and constitutional processes to ensure that the law takes its full course.
The forum seized the opportunity to remind the affected governors that Northerner lives matter and their systematic intimidation and attacks are uncivilised, provocative and totally unacceptable.
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