The Federal Government has been tasked to protect northerners in Southeast from the onslaught of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) made the call on the heels of the killings of an Adamawa State pregnant woman, her four children and fiver others by ipob terrorists in Anambra State.
The NEF condemned the killing, demanding the government to immediately reverse the insecurity in the South East.
In a statement, NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said Northerners and even South Easterners must be protected from the activities of IPOB, and urged the to take decisive steps to end the killings and the targeting of northerners.
“The events in the southeast particularly the events in recent days are tragic and very dangerous. There is a lot of anger in the land as there appears to be attempts to provoke some local communities as well as some part of Nigeria. Our position is that those with responsibilities to stop this, must stop it now.”
The NEF pleaded with the people to be peaceful and not take laws into their hands, “but we are demanding that northerners must be protected same way that we are demanding that easterners must be protected from the activities of this people who are killing.
Similarly, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the killing of northerners resident in the East by the IPOB militias
In a statement, the Secretary-General, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Murtala Aliyu said, “It is important that government brings all the attention of insecurity to the forefront, secure the country, secure the southeast from IPOB, and secure the north from bandits and all others threats. It is important that government put attention to security more than any other thing today.
“ACF is worried like every Nigerian over the killings in Anambra state. Our main worry is the general situation in the southeast our people, the northerners are also victims, but even the other Nigerian’s that are living there are not safe especially even the Igbo’s themselves.
“The important thing is to look at the whole issue holistically beyond regional or sectarian issues but look at the security of the country. It is quite unfortunate that today, in Nigeria, Nigerian’s are not safe where ever they are.”
