Kaduna State government orders the arrest of Northern Youths for issuing quit notice to Igbos
The Kaduna state government orders the police
to investigate and prosecute persons who endorsed the threat to Igbos in the
northern region - The government urges all residents to ignore the threats from
the group, northern youths, noting that it is in contact with the Igbo
community in Kaduna - MASSOB urges Igbos living in the northern part of the
country to start returning home The Kaduna state government has ordered the
immediate arrest of persons who signed a statement ordering Igbos out of
northern Nigeria. The state government in a statement issued by Samuel Aruwan,
the spokesman to the governor of Kaduna state on Wednesday, June 7, condemned
what it described as inciting, hate speech targeted at citizens of Igbo
extraction.
It said: “The Kaduna State Government takes
exception to the fact that the “northern youths” did their irresponsible press
conference in Kaduna. This government has been consistent in taking action to
punish hate speech and incitement. People who may feel unhappy about
irresponsible comments or actions that have taken place in other states must
know that two wrongs cannot make a right, and they cannot use our state to do
or say things that threaten the peace."
The government therefore ordered the arrest, investigation
and prosecution of the signatories to the statement issuing the quit notice to
the Igbos in the north. “The Kaduna State Government condemns in the strongest
terms the press statement by some self-appointed “northern youths” that
threatened the safety and property of our citizens of Igbo extraction.
Government assures every resident of our state that their constitutional and
human rights to live peacefully and own property wherever they choose is
sacrosanct.
Even people who may feel unhappy about irresponsible comments or
actions that have taken place in other states must know that two wrongs cannot
make a right. "Reckless disregard for the rights of other citizens drips
through the press statement by these “northern youths” who have chosen to use
the discourse around restructuring to promote their own agenda of hate,
division and incitement. This sort of opportunists cannot be allowed to distort
debate, or turn it into a pretext for a barely-disguised agenda of displacement
and dispossession of some citizens. “We will not tolerate such irresponsible
statements and conduct in our state. The statement issued by the “northern
youths” violates the laws of Kaduna State.
Therefore, the Kaduna State Government has
directed that its Ministry of Justice should prepare charges and prosecute the
signatories and anyone complicit in arranging this egregious assault on the
rights of fellow citizens," the Kaduna state government noted. The
authorities also directed the police to immediately arrest, interrogate the
signatories to the statement and investigate all the circumstances and persons
that may be implicated in the matter. It urged all residents to ignore the
threats from the group, noting that it was in contact with the Igbo community
in Kaduna. It said: “We delighted to say that this community, like all our
other communities, believes in the strength of the constitutional order to
protect all citizens.
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