Standup9ja: El-Rufai orders arrest of Arewa youths that
threatened Igbos
Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai has ordered the
arrest of leaders of the Arewa groups that issued an ultimatum to Igbos residing
in the northern part of the country to leave before October.
Nine northern based youth groups had on Tuesday, presented a
position paper in Kaduna asking all Igbo residing in the northern part of the
country to leave or face ‘ejection.’
El-Rufai speaking through his senior special assistant,
Samuel Aruwan while presenting the position of the state government on the
matter, said the state government has ordered the arrest, investigation and
prosecution of the signatories to the statement and condemns in strongest terms
the press statement by the “northern youths.”
“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,” he said.
He added that preparatory to 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.
“Government assures every resident of our state that their
constitutional and human rights to live peacefully and own property wherever
they choose is sacrosanct. Even 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,” the governor added.
He said the Kaduna State Government believed 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.
"The Kaduna State Government urges all residents to
ignore the threats from the “northern youths”. We are in contact with the
leadership of the Igbo community in Kaduna, and we are delighted to say that
this community, like all our other communities, believes in the strength of the
constitutional order to protect all citizens,” he added.
He urged residents to continue to shun agents of division,
and to stand firm in upholding a common humanity, saying everyone has a right
to live in peace and harmony.
The governor assured every resident of the state that nobody
can tamper with their freedom to reside where they choose adding that the state
government has been consistent in taking action to punish hate speech and
incitement.
Leaders of the Arewa groups that were signatory to the
statement are; Nastura Ashir Sharif, for Arewa Citizens Action for Change; Amb. ShettimaYerima, Arewa Youth Consultative
Forum; Aminu Adam, Arewa Youth
Development Foundation; Alfred Solomon,
Arewa Students Forum; Abdul-Azeez
Suleiman, Northern Emancipation
Network; JoshuaViashman, Northern Youth
Vanguard; Mohammad A. Mohammad,
Northern Youth Stakeholders Forum;
Mohammed Tasiu Pantami , North East Aseembly and Nathaniel Ajegena Adigizi, North Central Peoples Front.
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