A northern group, Arewa Youth Assembly, says that Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho has 72 hours to move his people out of the 19 Northern states and the FCT or they would be forcefully evicted.
The group issued the ultimatum on Friday in a statement signed by Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly, Mohammed Salihu Danlami.
The group was reacting to the declaration of an independent Yoruba nation by Igboho, whose real name is Sunday Adeyemo.
Declaring the Yoruba nation’s independence from Nigeria, Igboho said, “The Yorubas that are everywhere are larger than most countries, therefore we call on the global community and United Nations to come & separate us.
“We are no longer interested in being part of Nigeria before this becomes war, they need to intervene because we want to go.
“As it stands now, we are no longer under Nigeria. If they don’t intervene, it will go beyond control. We have gone beyond the point where we keep quiet; we are no longer scared to voice out.
“We are not safe anywhere, we can’t sleep in peace, we can’t travel in peace, what have we done? Are we slaves? We don’t do wrong by existing, we only chose the wrong leaders and we are saying enough is enough!
“TIN CAN in Lagos, Apapa, the directors are Fulani men. The two ports we have, the controllers are Fulanis. We don’t want them anymore!”
“All our Kings are solidly behind us, any of them that want to deny it should make a press conference, let’s see. He won’t see the light of the next day! My advice to the Yorubas in the North is to find your way back home.
“Start coming home, it is time! We have suffered enough, let’s not fight among each other, let’s unite for a common cause, it is time to come home. That’s all I have to say.”
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In light of the declaration, the Arewa Youth Assembly said it was unfortunate for Igboho to say that the South-West geopolitical zone would no longer accept northerners.
“This is despite the fact that the constitution of the country has made it crystal clear that any Nigerian can live in any part of the country irrespective of his or her religious and tribal leaning.
“The Arewa youth Assembly still affirms its position as a law-abiding civil youth organization, notwithstanding it will not fold its arm and watch innocent Nigerians been threatened by individuals who clearly have no regard and respect for the law.
“As such will like to bring to the notice of Mr Igboho that since it is he who wants his people out of the North to form a Yoruba nation, we will make it easy for him by asking Mr Igboho to provide a means of transportation to convey his people to the southwest.
“We are hereby giving him the ultimatum of 72hrs to move his people out or we will be forced to take necessary actions by personally taking the responsibility of getting his people back home,” Danlami stated.
He added that Igboho had continued to pose a threat to the lives and livelihoods of Northerners residing in the South, noting such would no longer be tolerated.
“We have kept quiet for the sake of peace and for the respect of the laws of our country. But as Mr Igboho rightly said, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, he either calls himself and his accomplices to order or force us to retaliate the best way we know how.
“It is in the light of this recent event that we wish to call on the Northern elders, traditional rulers, and all security agencies to support us in accomplishing this task of evacuating the Yoruba/out of the 19 Northern States and the FCT Abuja, making it a very peaceful exercise devoid of loss of lives and destruction of properties or hijack by hoodlums to prevent the reoccurrence of the EndSARS protest,” Danlami stressed.