Creation of Operation Shege Ka Fasa polarises Arewa youths

Members of the Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACNYA) has cautioned some Arewa youths over their comments against the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Sa’ad and other Northern elders who recently criticised the inauguration of Operation Shege Ka Fasa.

Besides, the Sultan of Sokoto had at a meeting of organised by the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP) lampooned some Northern youths for launching a security outfit to defend the region due to prevailing security challenges in the country.

“We the elders should not allow the youths to plunge the North into crisis,” he had said.

But in a statement issued by Convener of JACNYA, Alhaji Murtala Abubakar, the group cautioned members of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) who recently launched the security outfit to desist from using foul language on the Northern elders.

“We are compelled to caution Chairman, Board of Trustees of the CNG, Ashir Sheriff, over his comments on their Shege Ka Fasa. We are compelled to do so because the use of such indecorous language in the North is unprecedented and in total breach of our character and values as Northerners.

“While we recognise his (Sheriff) freedom of expression, but we also must remind him that he has no right to insult the Northern leaders and pollute the civil space with hate speeches.

“We wish to draw attention to the recent controversial launch of Shege Ka Fasa (as a purported reaction to the launch of Amotekun in South West Nigeria) by the CNG.”

“We are not part of this scam and we have also distanced ourselves from the statement that the coalition was acting in collaboration with youth organisations in the North,” he said.

He stressed that in an audio clip, Shariff made sweeping general statements in which he cast aspersions on the Sultan of Sokoto and other elders of the North, stressing, “We, members of JACNYA find the comments manifestly offensive, inciting and unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, the Northern Coalition for Peace and Development (NCPD) said amnesty and dialogue with the bandits mighty bring an end to insecurity in the country and urged the Federal Government to consider amnesty for armed bandits and kidnappers.

Speaking at a media briefing in Kaduna yesterday, the northern group also said calls for the sack of service chiefs were not in the best interest of the country at the moment.

National Secretary of the coalition, Attahiru Adamu, said Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states governors’ efforts, particularly their role in achieving effective resolutions by reconciliation and peace accord with bandits, was commendable.