By The Sight News
On the heels of a recent threat by a Coalition of Northern Youths which gave the Igbos latest October 1, 2017 to leave the Northern region, the Kaduna State Government has ordered the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the signatories to the statement.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant- Media and Publicity to the Governor, Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna State Government condemned the inciting hate speech which it says seeks to target and violate the rights of the citizens of Igbo extraction.
According to the statement, “The Kaduna State Government condemns in the strongest terms the press statement by some self-appointed “northern youths” that threatened the safety and property of our citizens of Igbo extraction. Government assures every resident of our state that their constitutional and human rights to live peacefully and own property wherever they choose is sacrosanct.
“The Kaduna State Government believes in and will uphold the right of every Nigerian to live safely and develop his/her full potentials within its territory.
“Reckless disregard for the rights of other citizens drips through the press statement by these “northern youths” who have chosen to use the discourse around restructuring to promote their own agenda of hate, division and incitement. This sort of opportunists cannot be allowed to distort debate, or turn it into a pretext for a barely-disguised agenda of displacement and dispossession of some citizens.
“We will not tolerate such irresponsible statements and conduct in our state. The statement issued by the “northern youths” violates the laws of Kaduna State. Therefore, the Kaduna State Government has directed that its Ministry of Justice should prepare charges and prosecute the signatories and anyone complicit in arranging this egregious assault on the rights of fellow citizens.
“Preparatory to the prosecution, the police have been directed to immediately arrest, interrogate the signatories to the statement and investigate all the circumstances and persons that may be implicated in the matter”. It read.
In a related development, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the statement by the group which he described as, “a threat to National Security”.
Atiku who aired his view through his twitter handle said, “Our country is too precious; our problems are too pressing to pander to divisive rhetoric. The ultimatum issued by a Northern youth coalition to the Igbos to quit the region is provocative, and a grave threat to national security.
“The counter response by a South-east group to Northerners is also reckless and thoughtless” he stressed.
An extract from the lengthy statement by the Coalition of Northern Youth read thus,”We are hereby placing the Nigerian authorities and the entire nation on notice that as from the 1st October 2017, we shall commence the implementation of visible actions to prove to the whole world that we are no longer part of any federal union that should do with the Igbos.
“From that date, effective, peaceful and safe mop-up of all the remnants of the stubborn Igbos that neglect to heed this quit notice shall commence to finally eject them from every part of the North”
