The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has threatened another round of mass protests if insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality are not addressed.
President-General of AYCF, Yerima Shettima disclosed this in an interview published by Saturday Sun.
He said growing insecurity in the north despite contrary claims by the Federal Government has become a source of concern for stakeholders.
The AYCF boss thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for telling the service chiefs that he would no longer tolerate excuses for insecurity in the region.
However, Shettima said the president’s words were not enough, noting that more needed to be done to stop needless killings, kidnappings and other atrocities confronting the north.
He said failure to do the needful to stem the tide of insecurity would provoke youths in the region into embarking on another round of protests.
Recall that youths under the auspices of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) took to the streets in June to protest bandit attacks in Katsina and the north at large.
On Buhari’s marching orders to the service chiefs, the AYCF President-General said, “It is a good development. The only hope is for us to give the federal government benefit of the doubt.
“Before now, the impression that they used to give us is that the war against terrorism is being won but one is baffled that the reverse is usually the case as we hear reports of new attacks by these terrorists.
“It is however heart-warming that President Buhari has declared that he will no longer take excuses from the Service Chiefs. As responsible citizens let’s give the federal government a benefit of the doubt.
“But let me sound this note of warning, if the federal government fails to act decisively against these terrorists, and bandits, we will embark on mass protests in the North, and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, and other groups in the region will lead it.”
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