*Says Arewa youths will be arrested no matter how long it takes
The Igbo leader, unlike the Northern leaders, did not however condemn the actions and activities of youths in his own region of South East, which explained the cause of the quit notice issued by the Arewa youths and on which they as at Monday insisted stand. The Arewa youths, whose names are not hidden, had told Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in an open letter on Monday that no matter effort the government was making to bring peace, it would not work with the Igbo and therefore begged the acting President to facilitate the process for their exit into their own nation of Biafra.
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday, said he would ensure the arrest of the Arewa youths who issued quit notice to Igbo in the North no matter how long it would take.
El-Rufai who spoke while receiving leaders of the Igbo Delegate Assembly and Northern Igbo Chiefs who paid him a visit at Government House Kaduna, said the youths would be arrested and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.
He however called on the Igbo leaders to prevail on their youths to stop making statements capable of dividing Nigeria.
El-Rufai said, “Kaduna used to be a home for all, but so much crisis has divided the state and the metropolis across religious lines. As a government that is why we abolished indigeneship, once you live in Kaduna you are an indigene. We are going to arrest the Arewa Youths and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes.”
The President General Igbo Delegate Assembly, Chief Chikezie Nwogu, in his reaction, said the Igbo were not going anywhere but would remain in the North.
“We want the government to tackle the root cause of agitations and subsequent quit notice by Northern youths and find solution. We are not happy with the call for division. We want Nigeria as one so that all of us can benefit. Northern youths have been our brothers,” he said.
The Igbo leader, unlike the Northern leaders, did not however condemn the actions and activities of youths in his own region of South East, which explained the cause of the quit notice issued by the Arewa youths and on which they as at Monday insisted stand.
The Arewa youths, whose names are not hidden, had told Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in an open letter on Monday that no matter effort the government was making to bring peace, it would not work with the Igbo and therefore begged the acting President to facilitate the process for their exit into their own nation of Biafra.
