Quit notice: IGP orders arrest, prosecution of Arewa Youths

.Reps condemns Group’s threat, MASSOB’s reaction, tasks security agencies

.Ndigbo must leave North, Northern Youth groups insist

The Federal government on Thursday moved to deal decisively with threat issued by a coalition of Arewa Youth groups to Ndigbo to leave the North as the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State to investigate and arrest members of the coalition that issued the ultimatum.

This is even as the House of Representatives on Thursday condemned the three-month quit notice issued to Ndigbo residing in the 19 northern states to leave the region by a coalition of Arewa youth groups.

This House equally flayed the response of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) urging people of South East extraction to return home

The Inspector General of Police, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a meeting with Commissioners of Police and other high ranking officers, said that those behind the communiqué should be arrested.

He warned that no individual or group of persons had the right to ask any individual to leave his or her place of residence in any part of the country.

Idris also ordered other state commissioners of police in the North and Assistant Inspectors -General of Police in the various zonal commands to do same.

“As Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, we have the responsibility to stop this group of persons from carrying out their threats.

“I want us to be at alert to ensure that such persons or group are stopped at all cost from carrying out their threats.

“No individual has the authority to stop anybody from looking for his daily bread,” he said.
He explained that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live in any part of the country he or she chooses.

On abuse of siren and spy number plate by unauthourised persons, Idris said a task force would be constituted across the country to check the situation, noting that some individuals used them to commit crimes.

The police boss urged the various commands to beef up security in their formations as security challenges were taking different dimensions.

He said the force had started the establishment of some operational units in the commands across the country to tackle emerging security challenges.

Idris urged state governors to support the force by establishing these units for effective response to security threats across the country.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives in condemning the three-month quit notice issued to Ndigbo residing in the 19 northern states to leave the region by a coalition of Arewa youth groups, and the response of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) urging people of South East extraction to return home, urged security agencies in the country to be on the alert to check any threat.

Passing a resolution following the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Rep. Oghene Emma Egoh (PDP/Lagos), the House implored the two groups to rescind their respective decisions while calling on the Federal Government to urgently wade into the issue to avert the loss of lives and properties that the actualisation of the parties’ threat may portend.

Also, the House charged all security agencies to be on the alert in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order over the relocation threat.

Moving the motion, Rep. Egoh in condemning the relocation threat issued by the 16 northern youth groups and the stand of the MASSOB in reaction to the relocation notice, stated that the two calls create alarming twist which is ominous and dangerous for the good health of Nigeria.

The lawmaker stressed the need for the Federal Government to urgently intervene to avert national crisis.
“As part of the campaign by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the actualisation of Biafra Republic, Biafra agitators shut down major towns in the South East on May 30, 2017.

“It is disturbing that 16 Northern youth groups on June 6, 2017 gave Ndigbo residing in their states up to October 1, 2017 to vacate the region days after shutting down of major towns in the South East.

“In its reaction, the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) said it received with gladness the quit notice and urged the Igbos to return home immediately.

“This motion is not interested in the merit or demerit of Biafra, nor is it interested in apportioning blame on those who made the two unpatriotic calls.

“Rather, this is only concern for the nation’s leaders to immediately intervene to stop these agitations from resulting in violence that may consume the entire nation,’’ Rep. Egoh said.

He therefore urged the National Assembly and the Presidency to wade into the issue by initiating dialogue with the “protagonists of come and leave our land and the return home immediately groups to avoid damage to our collective nationhood.

Meanwhile, despite the directive of the Inspector-General of the Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, asking the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command to apprehend and prosecute the arrowheads of the northern youth coalition, the group has insisted that the Igbos must leave the North and Nigeria before October 1.

The coalition in a statement made on Thursday, insisted on their stance and claimed that they had received sympathy across the country.

They further denied considering violence as a means of achieving their aim, and accused certain people whom they referred to as “merchants of mischief” of misrepresenting their thoughts.

In the statement signed by one of its leaders, Abdulazeez Suleiman, the group said: “In strict observance of that tradition, we never employ violence as a means of pursuing our interest and at every opportunity, we opt for peaceful engagements and implore people to eschew violence in all ramifications.

“This informs why a majority of discerning Nigerians, not necessarily northerners alone, understood and identified with our express call for the Biafrans to be allowed to actualise their long-held secessionist aspiration.

“We restate that we have never called anybody to violence and that people should discountenance the elements of fear and threat introduced by the distortions of merchants of mischief.

“We wholeheartedly endorse the moves made variously by our leaders to allay those fears and urge people to be peaceful and law-abiding while at the same time resolutely insisting on having the right thing done by allowing the Igbo to have and move to their dream country in accordance with the universal fundamental right to self-determination.”

Insisting on the relocation of the Igbo extraction from the North, the group said: “We restate our determination and commitment to ensuring that the north will never partake in any contrived arrangement that would still have the Biafran Igbo as a component.”

The youth coalition further called on the Federal Government and international bodies to organise a referendum that would facilitate the exit of the Igbo from Nigeria.

The group said: “We reiterate our call on Nigerian authorities and recognised international bodies such as the ECOWAS, AU and UN to hasten the initiation of the process for the final actualisation of the Biafran nation and with it the excision of the Igbo out of the present federation.

“Despite the minor distortions that caused some measure of anxiety, we make bold to say that the cheerful responses to our position which flowed through the internet and by way of personal telephone conversations nationally and universally has resonated that peace-loving Nigerians who have been tormented and menaced by the irredentist proclivities of the Igbos are overwhelmingly desirous to put an end to it.”

Speaking on purported support for their infamous action, members of the group said: “As we acknowledge this outpouring of patriotic support across the nation, we implore people, particularly our cultured northerners to remain restraint in the face of any provocation from any quarter and to debate intelligently.

“We assure them that we shall be firm and resolute in honestly and painstakingly pursuing what we all know is a noble and just cause without hurting anyone.”