BREAKING NEWS: Order Kanu’s arrest for threatening Nigeria’s existence, Arewa youths tell Osinbajo

• As the tension generated by the quit notice handed Igbo in the north is yet to settle, Arewa youths on Thursday stirred another controversy by asking the Presidency to order the immediate arrest and detention of the self-acclaimed Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu, over what they called threats to Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly, AYA, Mohammed Salihu and the Clerk, Desmond Minakaro, accused the federal government of aiding and abetting the IPOB leader to breach the bail conditions handed him by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja and inciting Nigerians against the government at major rallies in the South South and South East states.
The Northern youth leaders wondered why the government has allowed Kanu to grow wings and threaten national peace and security with inciting statements capable of destroying the country without calling him to order.
The Arewa youths said it was disappointing that despite the clear bail conditions reeled out by Justice Nyako, Kanu had brazenly violated all including the ban on organising rallies and press conference and being with any crowd of more than ten persons at any time.
 The youth leaders said, “The Leadership of Arewa Youth Assembly has observed with keen interest the high level of lawlessness exhibited by Nnamdi Kanu since he was granted bail in June this year and the conspiracy of silence displayed by the federal government and its security agencies in the face of such affront by the IPOB leader. No doubt, this lawlessness is capable of disintegrating this country.
 “The level of insecurity and youth agitations calls for concern by all well meaning Nigerians. These threats have turned our country in a place of uncertainty and now a laughing stock within the international communities.
 Nigerians now live in a state of fear and trauma for the fear of the unknown. “Any nation or institution which cannot abide by its own laws, rules and regulations is bound to fail and not worthy of being a nation or institution. It is on record that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided by Honourable Justice Binta Nyako on the 28th April, 2017, granted bail to one Mr. Nnamdi Kanu on health grounds with about 12 conditions attached to his Bail.
 “Gentlemen of press, you will all agree with us that the said Nnamdi Kanu has openly violated his bail conditions, chief among which are that he should not address a press conference; a rally and should not be in a gathering of not more than ten persons.
 “The most surprising and amazing of this is that the Federal Government is watching while Nnamdi Kanu is creating a state within a State, threatening to stop Anambra State gubernatorial election by holding rallies in South South and South East states and using provocative and inciting words, granting interviews to the press, which pose a threat to national unity and security.
“This level of lawlessness has left us with no option than to doubt the ability of our Acting President to successfully preside over the affairs of our country. Our Acting President seems to be under the control of some cabals when it comes to decision-making.
 “We therefore, wish to advise the Acting President to sit up and be in firm control of the government of Nigeria and begin to address the myriads of issues threatening the unity of this great nation,” the Arewa youths said.
The youths said they were planning a national peace summit in Abuja early next month as a means of bringing together youths from all parts of the country to brainstorm on the way forward for Nigeria instead of seeking to divide the nation for selfish interest.

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NEWS: We’re still in talks with Arewa youths — Ohanaeze Youth Council

• OHANAEZE Ndigbo Youth Council, has restated its determination to ensure that nothing happens to the Igbo in the North on account of the quit notice issued by a coalition of Arewa youths.

Rising from a meeting at Umudike, Abia State, to review its next move on the parley with Arewa Youths over the quit notice, the group expressed the hope that the meetings would yield fruitful results. They however, expressed regret that one Edozie Eyibo, whom they claimed is not an Igbo man and Chuks Ibegbu were allegedly working against peaceful resolution of the issue. However, Ohanaeze parent body, yesterday warned that it will not fold its arms and allow any illegitimate group or persons to discredit it by issuing what it described as staccato statements tailored towards dragging the image of the organization in the mud. The organization further stressed that there was no crack or division in its operations and constitution as the Igbo apex body in the country.

We’re still talking with Arewa youths 

In a communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by the OYC Publicity Secretary, Engr. Obinna Adibe, the group alleged that Nwodozi and Ibegbu were sabotaging the result achieved so far in the ongoing dialogue with the Arewa Youths.
They accused Nwodozi of working against the interest of Ndigbo, playing a “spoiler’s role because he is not an Igbo man.” They also accused Ibegbu, the National Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze of being under a contract to destroy the on-going peace moves for selfish reasons.
“The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization met today and took far reaching decisions, which essentially border on the October 1 ultimatum given to Igbo resident in the North. “We took time to review the steps we have taken so far towards initiating a peace process with the Arewa youths, to ensure that nothing untoward happened to any Igbo man or woman in the 19 Northern states. “We are delighted with the results achieved so far and we have the firm belief that this process shall finally reunite us and ensure the safety of our people.
“However, we note with utmost concern the desperate moves by some persons to sabotage these efforts and then see to a massacre of Ndigbo in the North. “The persons in question are one Odozi Nwodozi, who parades himself as the chairman of Ohanaeze in the FCT, Abuja. We are indeed at a loss how such a person got to lay claim to that position.
“It is strange because in the first place, he is not an Igbo man, but from Edo State, although he has allegedly changed his name three times, but that has not in any way made him an Igbo man.
“We want to say with all seriousness that he is not an Igbo man and as such, he should desist from poke-nosing into matters affecting Ndigbo, more so when he does not have the interest of our people at heart. “We warn him to cease henceforth from disparaging the Ohanaeze Youth Council and by extension, sabotaging our determined effort to see to the protection of our people.
 “Also in this dangerous mission is Chuks Ibegbu, who seems to be under contract to not just tarnish the image of the Ohanaeze Youth Council but to rubbish all our efforts.
“Ibegbu has gone extra mile to the point of issuing media statements in the name of our President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro. He should get ready for court action as we shall not just sue him for libel but for impersonation.
 “Finally, may we restate our earlier belief in the ongoing peace process between us and the Arewa youths. We shall see it to the end in order to safeguard our people,” the statement said.

 ”Ohanaeze will not allow itself to be discredited”

 But in a statement issued in Abakaliki on behalf of the National Executive Committee, NEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the National Publicity Secretary of the Igbo group, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, who described the relationship between the national leadership of Ohanaeze and IPOB as that of father and son, added that no amount of pressure or attack in any form can derail the resolve of the group towards protecting the interests and aspirations of Ndigbo.
 The statement read in part: “The attention of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been drawn to the activities of a group led by one Okechukwu Isiguzoro issuing statements on behalf of the Ohanaeze youths.
“It is pertinent to note that the leadership of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing was suspended way back in 2016 by the former NEC led by Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey through the Imeobi of Ohanaeze.
 Owing to some inconsequential and discordant actions of the leadership of the Youth Wing, the Imeobi suspended it in May, 2016, more than eight months before the current NEC was elected on January 10, 2017, relying on Article 23(iv)(b) of the Ohanaeze Constitution to wit: “Imeobi shall have the powers to dissolve the leadership of any wing, scrap or modify any wing as it deems fit in the interest of the Ohanaeze.
 “The suspension was not and has not been lifted.
 Instead, the suspension order was inherited alongside that of the Women Wing by the present NEC on assumption of office and has been looking at the problems of the two wings in order to arrive at a final and acceptable solution.
“On the above premise, it is imperative to note that Ohanaeze has no crack or division and does not issue staccato statements and will not allow any illegitimate group or persons to issue statements and credit same to Ohanaeze in any guise.
We are not oblivious that they are machinations tailored to drag Ohanaeze’s name, image and integrity in the mud.
“Currently, we have in custody a concrete and undeniable evidence of meetings and engagements of some Igbo sons including Isiguzoro and some other sponsored persons from a far geopolitical zone to distract and dismember Ohanaeze and create the impression that it is divided and does not speak for Ndigbo. “We state in clear terms that IPOB is our son.
The pages of newsprints cannot be the appropriate channel to admonish them. No sane man would chide his son in the market.
Those who publish unguarded statements create crises between the Ohanaeze and the IPOB and these would only eat their disappointments.” “At any rate, we are focused and undaunted in Ohanaeze so that no amount of pressure or attack in any form can derail or deform our resolve to protect the views, interests and aspirations of Ndigbo.”

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Quit Order: Igbo Group Condemns Northern Youths, Lauds Northern Leaders

• A pan-Igbo group, The Igbo Conscience (TIC), has condemned the ultimatum issued by a coalition of Northern youth groups to Igbo people leaving in the Northern part of the country to return to their home states by October 1O.

The group also condemned previous provocative statements by the  Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), saying the are as unacceptable as the quit order issued by Northern youths to the Igbo. TIC made its position known in a statement signed by Messrs. Monday Ubani and Peter Claver-Oparah, Interim Chairman and Secretary respectively.                                                                   

"We believe in the peace, unity, and togetherness of every Nigerian and we believe such statements divide Nigerians and should not be encouraged.

TIC commends critical segments of the Northern Society for unequivocally condemning and disowning the declaration of the Arewa Youths. We salute the Kaduna State Governor, the Northern Governors Forum and of course, right-thinking Northern groups for disowning the position of the Arewa Youths and we see their positions as healthy for the growth of peace and unity in the country. We salute their courage in taking firm positions against the so-called Kaduna Declaration. We charge South East Governors, groups and stakeholders to learn good lessons from this as their silence and acquiesce to the activities of IPOB helped create wrong impressions that spur such groups as Arewa Youths to believe Igbo support the negative activities and statements from IPOB," TIC said.

The group also demanded the arrest and prosecution of members of groups that stir hate, ethnic and sectional disharmony. It reiterated its belief in a united Nigeria that benefits the Igbo and every other citizen equally and opposes political interests hiding under sectional cloaks to cause disharmony.

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