Igbo quit notice: Northern elder statesman blasts Arewa youths, remind them of historical truth

- Senator Walid Jibrin criticised the Arewa youths who issued a notice to Igbos to leave the north

- The elder statesman reminded them that Igbos helped to develop their region

- He called on traditional rulers to call the youths to order

Senator Walid Jibrin who is an elder statesman has lashed out at the northern youths who issued a quit notice to Igbos in north asking them to vacate the region within 90 days.

Guardian reports that the founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party described the declaration as an invitation to another war saying the youths have not experienced war which was why they could make such declaration.

READ ALSO: South east governors hold emergency meeting following Arewa youths' quit notice to Igbos

The elder statesman reminded the youths that the people they were trying to chase out of their land helped to develop it.

He said: “The Igbo are very broad-minded people who have helped to develop the economy of the north. There is no village, ward or town where you will not find an Igbo person living peacefully with the people. The South East people have always remained the allies of the north since independence.

“Therefore, any action that will lead Nigeria to a civil war should never be entertained especially now that Nigeria needs unity from everyone.

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“The agitation for Biafra by some Igbo is not enough to abandon all northern Igbo. I have noted with admiration the action of some Igbo leaders, including their governors, who are seriously against the creation of Biafra and would prefer Nigeria to remain as one entity.”

He also called on traditional rulers to call the youths to order.

Meanwhile, the police in Kaduna launched a manhunt for Arewa youths who signed a declaration issuing a 90-day ultimatum to Igbos in the north to leave.

NAIJ.com had reported that a coalition of northern youths in what they tagged ‘Kaduna Declaration’ on Tuesday, June 6 ordered Igbos to vacate and return to the south east.

In response, Governor Nasir 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."

Watch a NAIJ.com TV video below of a retired army major speaking about the similarity between the Biafra agitation and Niger Delta issue