According to him, arresting the youths would be counter-productive as it would lead to a serious crisis in the region. Mr. Junaid Mohammed made this known on Friday, June 23, in an interview with Punch. He accused the Federal Government of demonstrating irresponsibility in its selective handling of the threats from the southern and North.
He said:
“The threat to arrest the youth, in my opinion, is not only counter-productive but also inappropriate..
This is because ideally, with the position of things, every Nigerian has the right to live and conduct their businesses in any part of the country. “But the Federal Government left their toes behind when they allowed the IPOB, which is being financed by the Igbos political and business elites both in the country and in the diaspora to be issuing statements freely..
“Therefore, any attempt to arrest Arewa youths will lead to problems. I am resident in Kano State and the last time the Kaduna State Government brought up the issue of arrest,there would have been violence if an attempt to arrest anybody by the police had been made”. The assertions by Mohammed was also backed by the chairman of Northern Elders Council, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, who said that the present crisis arose because the Federal Government failed to tackling the threats by the IPOB early enough.
His words:
“I believe that the Federal Government was some what late in addressing the threats issued by the Igbo. “These threats by both the North and South are unconstitutional and illegal because every Nigerian has the right to live and work in any part of the country he or she chooses.“I think the Igbo should not allow a man, who was not even born during the civil war to incite violence in the country. Both the Hausa and the Igbo are well-traveled traders and if this country splits today, that opportunity is gone, a market of 180 million people. All the regions will suffer for it.”.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Jimoh Moshood, in an interview with Adelani Adepegba of Punch has explained why the police have not yet arrested the Northern youths who issued the quit ultimatum to Igbos living in theregion.“…When you talk of the Arewa youths, on the other hand, we are looking for them. Anybody who violates the law must be arrested”, he said.“The IG has directed that no individual has the right to ask another Nigerian to relocate from or to any part of the country. Everyone has the right to live and do business in any part of the country and to have property as stated in the constitution.“The IG has issued a warning, he equally directed the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the zone and CP in charge of the command that they should do everything to make sure that the threat is not actualised”, added Mr Jimoh Moshood..
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