Arewa youths counter IPOB’s call on Middle Belt to sit-at-home

Pushed by recent calls on the people of Middle Belt to implement the sit-at-home order in solidarity with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has urged Northern governors to sanction anyone that obeys the order.

AYCF, in a statement signed by its National President, Yerima Shettima, also urged the governors to seal the shops whose owners obey the solidarity agitation in the north.

It warned that no section of the North should be a party to “a deliberate, politically-motivated plan to undermine or worsen the nation’s current security challenges”, asserting that “the North has come a long way in understanding the use of constitutional and democratic means of channelling legitimate grievances, and cannot, therefore, be a party to any undemocratic move.”

According to the group, 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 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.”

It called on the governors to step up action to prevent IPOB from infiltrating the region.

“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 pray fervently for lasting peace.”

AYCF also condemned the use of killings and arson to press home a demand that the democratic process in existence would have taken care of.

“We call on Northerners of good conscience to avoid any undemocratic means, including the burning of government-owned structures, where fellow Nigerians legitimately work to feed their families,” the group added.