The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) on Tuesday charged governors of the northern region to permanently seal the shop of any northerner who adheres to the sit-at-home protest threatened by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over Nnamdi Kanu’s fate.
The Arewa youth wished the secessionist group the best of luck if they wished to continue their sit-at-home protest for another 10 years, but asserted that its members won’t allow IPOB to export their activities to the North.
All Facts News reports that IPOB had threatened to direct Igbo living in different parts of Nigeria to observe a one-month sit-at-home order if the Nigerian government failed to produce its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in court for trial on October 21st.
The secessionist group also reportedly urged the South-west and Middle-belt regions to observe the one-month sit-at-home as a show of solidarity. Only yesterday, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) threatened to revoke the businesses of Igbo residing in the North if they complied with the IPOB sit-at-home order.
And in a statement issued by its national president, Yerima Shettima, AYCF kicked against the planned sit-at-home protest in other parts of Nigeria, vowing not to allow the North to be further destabilized by any violent strategy or be a party to “a politically motivated plan to undermine or worsen the nation’s current security challenges”.
While urging northern governors not to allow IPOB to infiltrate the region, the group asked the governors to seal off the shops of northerners who sympathize with the secessionist group.
AYCF said, “The North has come a long way in understanding the use of constitutional and democratic means of channeling legitimate grievances, and cannot, therefore, be a party to any undemocratic move.
“We hope they will continue with the sit-at-home for another 10 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.
“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, that shop should be sealed forever.
“And for the avoidance of doubt, we will not fold our arms and watch the north get further destabilized 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.”
