Arewa threat! Igbos are not afraid of the northern youths - Nzuko Umunna

- Nzuko Umunna has reacted to the threat made to Igbos in the north by the Arewa youths

- The Igbo social-group says the Igbos will not be shaken by the threats made

- Nzuko Umunna says it is happy the opinions of Arewa youths are not the same for everyone else from the north

Nzuko Umunna, an Igbo socio-cultural group has reacted to the threat issued by a coalition of Northern Youths, asking all Igbos to vacate the northern part of the country or face the music.

The threat which has caused some disquiet in the country, was issued by Arewa youths.

Nzuko Umunna in its press release signed by Ngozi Odumuko (coordinator) and Jude Ndukwe (publicity secretary) described as “puerile”.

The group urged northern leaders to call their youth to order in order to "

It went further to hail the swift steps taken so far by some northern leaders especially the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, in bringing the situation under control.

Nzuko Umunna concluded that Ndigbo would continue to pursue their collective aspirations as a people peacefully but vigorously.

Below is the full text of the statement.

"We read the open threat by a group of supposed northern youths said to comprise Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum and Northern Emancipation Network, asking all Igbo resident and or doing business in the north to vacate the region within the next three months.

While we would have loved to ignore such puerile calls by these obscure groups, it is pertinent to put our people on high alert following the antecedents of some misguided youths who over the years have always falsely assumed that they have the monopoly of violence over every other person.

READ ALSO: Tension in northern Nigeria as Governors disown Arewa youths, call for their arrest

We want to believe and we have strong reasons to do so, that the position of these youths on the Igbo resident in the north is not the same as those of the larger population including the elders, traditional rulers, political leaders, businessmen/women, leaders of thought, students and all law abiding citizens of that region.

While we call on leaders and people of the north to call their youths to order, we wish to use this opportunity to draw the attention of the international community to the looming crisis arising from these threats.

The agitation of the Igbo for their collective aspirations has been peaceful so far and will always remain so. This is within our rights to so do. It would amount to an unprovoked invitation to avoidable crisis that would blow no one any good wind if anybody or group of persons decide to use this to threaten the people.

While we also strongly urge the authorities to investigate these threats and bring the authors to book immediately as a way of forestalling an impending cycle of violence that could further worsen the already fragile socio-economic and political situation of the country, we urge Ndigbo to remain calm but vigilant as they go about their normal businesses everywhere.

Our governors and traditional leaders should, as a matter of absolute necessity, kindly begin to engage their counterparts from the north. Such engagements are the hallmarks of a peace loving people even in the face of extreme provocation.

In light of the above, we must commend the efforts of Gov Nasir El-Rufai who has swiftly risen to the occasion by ordering the authorities in Kaduna to bring all signatories to the so-called “Kaduna Declaration” to book with a view to prosecuting them forthwith. If Nigeria must remain a united nation, this is the kind of non-partisan approach to issues that would heal festering wounds.

As a safeguard, all seeming violence against the Igbo in the north should be reported immediately on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nzukoumunna/ and or on our twitter handle at https://twitter.com/nzuko_umunna for immediate response.

Finally, while we call on these youths supposedly speaking for the north to rescind their threats, we assure Nigerians of northern extraction, and indeed every Nigerian, of their continued safety and well-being anywhere they reside and or do business in Igboland even as the Igbo will not in any way relent in pursuing their aspirations peacefully but vigorously."

Following their controversial statement urging Igbos to leave the north, the Arewa youths are about to taste the wrath of the 19 northern governors.

Governors of the nineteen northern states on Wednesday, June 7, disowned the coalition of Arewa Youths. ‎

Borno Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in Maiduguri.

The Governors said they were in touch with heads of security agencies and had taken measures that will guarantee the rights of all Nigerians to live in the 19 States in the three geo-political zones, within the north.

The governors also called on security agencies to arrest the youths and probe the motive behind the call, saying the call by the youths was a suspicious act that fell in line with recent trend of arms catch, coup rumours which may not be coincidental.

In a similar vein, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has expressed disappointment over Governor Nasiru El-Rufai’s statement condemning them and ordering for their arrest.

NAIJ.com had reported that a group named, the Coalition of Northern Youths (CNY) on Tuesday, June 6, issued a statement ordering Igbo people in the north to vacate Northern Nigeria within 3 months.

It was learnt that learnt that the group also urged northern people in the south-eastern part of the country to immediately start moving back to their various states.

The group threatened that from the 1st October, 2017, it will begin to prove to the whole world the north was no longer part of any federal union that should do with the Igbos.

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In response, Governor El-Rufai on Wednesday, June 7 ordered the arrest and prosecution of the signatories of the quit notice. “The Kaduna state government takes exception to the fact that the “northern youths” did their irresponsible press conference in Kaduna.

This government has been consistent in taking action to punish hate speech and incitement.

People who may feel unhappy about irresponsible comments or actions that have taken place in other states must know that two wrongs cannot make a right, and they cannot use our state to do or say things that threaten the peace."

Meanwhile, Nzuko Umunna on Wednesday, May 31, said it was satisfied with the conduct of the Igbo people in their activities to mark the Biafra at 50 celebration.

The group also commended the leadership and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other indigenous groups for their peaceful mobilization.

In a statement signed by the group's coordinator and secretary Ngozi Odumuko and Paschal Mbanefo the IPOB, MASSOB and all the other groups conducted themselves in civilized manner on the Biafra remembrance day.

Mbanefo said the level of compliance with the sit-at-home directive while highly satisfactory and commendable, has shattered a lot of myths and fallacies about Igbo and their unity.

Watch this NAIJ.com video in which Acting President Yemi Osinbajo delivers a speech on the Biafra war.