No One Is Driving Northerners Away From The South, Stop Changing The Narrative__Ohaneze Tells Northern Leaders

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“Rather, what has happened in both the South West, the South South, South East and the Middle Belt of Nigeria are plaintive cries of citizens and their governments for lawless inhabitants of our forests and lands to stop criminality".Ohaneze said

The apex sociocultural Igbo group, Ohaneze Ndigbo has denied the allegation that all Fulanis or Northerners in the South East were issued quit notice orders to leave the region.

In a statement signed by the group's National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia on Thursday as obtained by Vanguard, Ohaneze noted that only Fulani herdsmen living in the forests and committing crimes via the forests were asked to quit the forests and not to leave the region entirely.

The group has also called on the Northern and southern leaders to desist from inflammatory statements, warning that it could trigger conflicts and inflame passions.

The Igbo apex socio-cultural body also condemned vehemently, the activities of Fulani herdsmen instigating crises in the land through the invasion of farmlands, vandalism, rape, and murders.

The statement reads: "Ohanaeze Ndigbo is concerned about recent developments in Nigeria around the activities of herdsmen of Fulani stock said to be foreigners from outside Nigeria who have caused damage across the land and elicited negative reactions. While that is disturbing enough, we are distressed by the tenor of conversations on the subject pushed by persons who should otherwise do better.

“Many are framing it as a North versus South conflict. This is not correct. Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on the elite of Northern and Southern Nigeria to desist from inflammatory rhetoric and the canvassing of narratives that could stoke conflict and inflame passions. No one would gain from the consequences of such idle chatter but Nigeria will lose big time.

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“Specifically, we assert that no one in the South, not even the least in the South East, has issued quit orders to all Northerners or will ask Northerners to leave. Ndigbo are nation builders and not destroyers.

“Rather, what has happened in both the South West, the South South, South East and the Middle Belt of Nigeria are plaintive cries of citizens and their governments for lawless inhabitants of our forests and lands to stop criminality. Surely, no upright and well-meaning citizens will dispute the imperative of having law-abiding citizens who pursue their vocations without doing harm to others.

“We declare that our people demand the observance of due process by all groups. We deplore rash and unlawful retaliatory actions. We condemn even more the activities of herdsmen instigating crises in the land through the invasion of farmlands, vandalism, rape, and murders.

“We call on Northern leaders to enjoin a return to the lawful herdsmen with whom our communities have interacted in various Hausa settlements across the South East over many decades. It is the same call that citizens are making in the South West, South-South and the North-Central.

“Leaders must restrain themselves from sharing the wrong narratives and perspectives. No one is driving Northerners away from the South. Ohanaeze calls on Northern leaders to join in the call against lawlessness and impunity by the few who do not represent the majority”.

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