The Igbo Delegate Assembly and Northern Igbo Chiefs,
groups comprising stakeholders from the south-east,
have told the coalition of Arewa youth that Igbo would
remain in the north.

The Arewa group has given those from the south-east
up till October 1 to leave the region but the elders said
they have found a home.

They visited Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state
on Tuesday.

“We are not happy with the call for division. We want
Nigeria to remain as one so that all of us can benefit.

Northern youth have been our brothers. The Igbo are
not going anywhere, we will remain with our Arewa
brothers in the north.” Chikezie Nwogu, president-
general, Igbo Delegate Assembly, said. commended
the federal government and government of Kaduna,
over the manner they handled the issue.

He commended the federal government and the
government of Kaduna for the manner in which the
issue was handled.

“We are here in Kaduna to hold a meeting based on
what has been happening in the north, especially with
the Arewa Youth and the ultimatum given to Igbos and
the agitations by IPOB,” he said.

“We are not here to condemn anybody.We thank the
governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and
other northern governors, traditional rulers and the
federal government for their interventions at the heat of
the issue.”

He appealed to the government to tackle the root
cause of agitations and subsequent quit notice by
northern youth and find solution
”Let us look at the problem of the youths when there
arcomplaintsns, it is also good to restructure in a way
that will benefit everyone,” he said.

El-Rufai, who had earlier ordered the arrest of the
Arewa youth, insisted that those behind the quit notice
must be arrested.

He said the state, which had been affected by different
crises, would not tolerate sensitive comments that
could incite and cause disaffection among the people.

“We are going to arrest the Arewa Youth and bring
them to justice no matter how long it takes. Since the
press conference was done in Kaduna,” he said.

“If they had done it in any other place, we would have
just condemned them but since it’s in Kaduna, we are
going to arrest them.

“Kaduna used to be a home for all, but so much crises
have left the divided across religious lines”
He assured his visitors of their safety in not just
Kaduna but across all the 19 northern states.

“I have the mandate of the northern governors’ forum
under the chairmanship of Borno State Governor,
Kashim Shettima, to reassure the Igbo in the 19
northern states and Abuja that their lives and property
are safe in the north,” he said.

TheCable