A pan-Igbo group, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), has warned President Muhhammadu Buhari to desist from the ongoing moves to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra, saying that the president will only end up having more headaches.
The group asked Buhari to rather use the energy to concentrate on creating an enabling environment for the various nationalities to come together and decide the way forward for the country.
In a statement signed by the group’s President, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, and Secretary, Prof. Nath Aniekwu, they reminded President Buhari that Kanu is a prisoner of conscience.
“Nigeria is now swarming with many people like him.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this type of attitude of creating two kinds of citizens; those above the law (Arewa youths) and others, those who will be blackmailed by punishment of the law, even when they commit no offence (IPOB), is one of the factors which fuel most of the agitations all over the country.
“Mr. President, Nigeria has never been as divided as this; except during the civil war (1967-70).
“You need, therefore, to rethink your strategy in order to avert unnecessary tension in this polity.
“Nigeria’s unity is negotiable, that’s all that Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are pointing at. The situation, therefore, needs redressing.
“Nobody is a slave in this country. If there is no law obliterating divorce in Nigeria, it is ironical to think that by mere wishful thinking Nigeria will remain as it were a model of abusive marriage”.
“In their statement on June 27th, the Arewa youths had given the Igbo ultimatum to leave Northern Nigeria latest by October 1, 2017.
“Many people regarded their action as treasonable and a threat of genocide. Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai and Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris declared that they should be arrested.
“They were not arrested. Rather, what we heard were statements from some Arewa leaders supporting their action.
“One such leader is Prof. Ango Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; consequently, the Arewa youths continued in their belligerent threats and mocked the arrest orders.
“President Buhari, who returned to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after 104 days in Britain, where he received treatment for undisclosed ailment, in his very short and pointed speech, did not address the quit notice to Ndigbo by Arewa youths; nor did he condemn the virulent Hausa hate songs being circulated as a mass mobilization tool for the looming genocide against Ndigbo.
“Rather, president Buhari, in his ‘maiden’ address declared war on IPOB and Boko Haram, thereby equating the two as terrorist organisations.
“It was as if the president was brought back to declare war on IPOB, Kanu and Ndi-Igbo…”
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