From Amos Tauna
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, northern Nigeria on Wednesday, the spokesman of the groups, Mr.Nasiru Jagaba, said, “We, the people of the Middle-Belt of Nigeria wish to let the world know that we are NOT a part of Northern Nigeria and no body in the Northern part has the mandate to speak for us.
“We therefore dissociate ourselves from the infamous so-called ‘’KADUNA DECLARATION of the 6th of June 2017 that demanded the exit of our Igbo brothers and sisters from the Northern parts of Nigeria with a threat to their lives and properties,” the groups declared.
The Middle-Belt Patrotic Front made of different associations have their membership from Kwara State, Kogi State, Benue State, Plateau State, Nasarawa State, Taraba State, Niger State. The Federal Capital Territory, as well as the southern parts of Adamawa State, Kaduna State, Kebbi State, Bauchi State, Gombe State, Yobe State and Borno State lend their united voice behind the Middle-belt Forum, MBF.
The groups commend recent moves by the federal government under the leadership of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to nip these challenges in the bud and called on all Nigerians and those living in Nigeria to support the government to not only restore peace but to move Nigeria to greater heights.
These recent developments in the Country with the dangerous propensity they connote, according to the groups necessited for the briefing, “We cannot, therefore, fold our arms and watch events degenerate into another civil war.
“We believe unjust and unfair handling of affairs in government gave rise to agitations from different parts of the country; and the agitations have never been this deep and strong. It therefore, behoves on a responsible government to address the basis for these agitations.
“The Middle-Belt has been turned into a theater of undeclared war by both Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen (globally adjudged to be the 1st and 4th deadly terror groups in the world).
“Their reign of murder and terror on our people and the southern regions of the Country has continued unchallenged, while the government of the day, which is well disposed to contain them has instead protected them; thus creating a deep mistrust from all other regions of the country against the far northern regions,” the groups observed.
The Middle-Belt noted that the Hausa – Fulani community in the country has the most effective communication and ethnocentric network that could have been exploited by government since it is the same group that is in power now, adding that this was one of their electoral promises to Nigerians.
“Hostility would have ceased in a matter of days, if there was any determination on their part to do so by exploiting this network.
“Another case-in-point is the clear double standards exhibited by this government that did nothing when thousands of Christians in the States of Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Southern Borno, Southern Kaduna and parts of Southern Nigeria were brutally murdered by the Fulani herdsmen during almost a decade of a killing spree; but were quick to send a strong military contingent within a week to Taraba state when it was alleged that a few of these same murdering Fulani herdsmen had been killed in the state.
“The Middle-Belt; therefore; strongly condenms the so called northern youths’ call on Igbos to leave the north. Nigeria belongs to all of us and we call on all to disregard the Arewa call.
“For the avoidance of doubt; any recourse to threaten any of our brothers from other regions will be met with stiff resistance from the Middle-Belt.
“We also condenm in the strongest terms, the perceived parting on the back by some Arewa so called Elders to these mis-guided Arewa Youths whose conduct is inimical to the peaceful and cooperate existence of this nation.
“We call on the global community to take judicial note of the double standards of these Northern Leaders who will scold and call for the arrest of these youth in public BUT behind the scene they actively support them; which is why several weeks thereafter; no arrest has been made to date; rather they are given free backing to make more inflammatory remarks,” the groups explained.
