El-Rufai sponsored CNG’s 30-day ultimatum against Southern Nigeria, says pro-Biafra group

Our reporter

An organization that is in support of an independent country to be called Biafra has accused Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai of being the mastermind of the threat by some northern groups to take violent action against Southerners in the region if the Federal Government fails to go ahead with the controversial RUGA scheme which was recently suspended.

The organization, Biafra Nation’s Youth League (BNYL) in a statement on Friday, signed and issued by its Chief Press Secretary, Comrade Kufre Obot, and sent to Daily Times, said the address given by El-Rufai at a recent event organized by northern youths where he boasted that Southerners are criminals as well as the fact that the threat was given within the area of his jurisdiction without him saying anything to condemn it, are clear indications that the governor was behind the threats.

“Arewa Quit Notice was decided in Kaduna, he didn’t take any action. Now another Kangaroo group has emerged to make same threat, if you read Abdulazeez Thursday’s statement, he also described the people of Southern Nigeria as criminals, similar to what the Kaduna State Governor said some days ago,” the statement said.

Comrade Kufre Obot frowned at El-Rufai for calling Southerners people of 419, saying that on the other hand, the governor was jealous of the rapid developments taking place in the South, even without support of the Federal Government, describing people of the region as hardworking and development oriented.

According to the group, any attempt by the government to take RUGA to the South, especially the South East would be vehemently resisted, at whatever cost, as they are ready to make necessary sacrifice to defend their native land.

According to the statement, “The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has urged the Federal Government to take immediate measures to end harassment, intimidation, attacks and forceful ejection of pastoralists in Southern part of the country following resolution of the South East Governors Forum issued on July 9, 2019 over the rising tensions around the expulsion and other hostile acts against the Fulani people by many leaders and communities in many parts of Nigeria.

“The Coalition gave the advice in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Mr Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in Abuja on Thursday. According to him, the tensions have been made worse by the decision of the federal government to suspend the Ruga settlement project.”

“On our side, we BNYL wish to caution the Federal Government on the consequences of listening to the Northern groups. The Fulani have no place in entire Southeast and South-South. The South East and South-South are too small in terms of landmass.

“Kogi state is bigger than Southeast, Niger State might be bigger than South-South put together, let alone adding all northern States together. Is there no land there in the north to resettle these Fulanis,” he questioned.