By Jibrin Miachi, Kaduna
Worried by the continued killings across the country, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has given three months ultimatum to the federal government to put an end to the development or face full scale protests.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the spokesman of the Group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman which he made available to Journalists in Kaduna.
The statement warned that if the federal government fails to address insecurity in the country especially in the North, the youths might be forced to embark on mass protests.
To this end, CNG gives three months to the government to ensure they sanitise and bring to end the wanton killings in the country.
Part of the statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, the CNG shall see no course in holding back the commencement of renewed protests on a much wider scale if at the expiration of the three months period, the government’s commitment to safeguarding the lives of citizens all over the country remains mere rhetoric.
“In place of the halted protests, the CNG hereby resolves to direct its state coordinators to raise their levels of vigilance and to assist the security forces with credible relevant intelligence needed to tackle the situation.
“All CNG state coordinators and officials of affiliate groups to commence the immediate process of compiling all aspects of security worries in their respective states to deliver to the various state commissioners of police for onward transmission to the chief executives and thereafter, address the press at NUJ centres in groups of not more than 25 each.
The CNG demanded that within the next three months: “The federal security forces must carry out proper threat assessments of the situation to review the current poor law enforcement, poor intelligence and the lack of synergy among other vulnerabilities.
“The federal authorities must tame the exponential rise in the rate of attacks and the number of terror gangs, halt the proliferation of illicit arms and mop up the estimated 350 million small arms and light weapons already believed to be in Nigeria with a large percentage in the North.
“Government must take steps to ensure that all security budget allocations are released in full to the relevant agencies on quarterly basis to ensure efficiency.
“The federal and state governments must commence the process of resettling the displaced communities.
“The federal legislators must do their job by quickly moving to amend the clause in the Constitution to allow for multiple security and public safety arrangements in the country – at the federal, state, and local government levels.
“Legislators must move for enactment for the provision of special welfare packages for front line security personnel including harzard allowances to their family, scholarships for their children’s education and health insurance for their families.
“The Northern states governments must halt treating security issues with kid gloves, and address the current threats with the seriousness and purposefulness that they deserve.
“Meanwhile, we urge improved public cooperation with security efforts and concerted rigorous prayers for divine intervention to grant our troops victory in stemming this deadly menace once and for all and for the restoration of a lasting peace and enduring stability.
“We also call on the business community and the wealthy in society to replicate the gesture
they extended to support the Covid-19 fight to the current war against insecurity.”
In another development, the leader of the Fulani community in Ladduga in Kachia local government area of Kaduna state, Ardo Goge has debunked the claims that 4000 herders have returned to Kaduna, saying only 107 of the herders did return to his community.
Recall that the social media as well as traditional media had reported the return of 4000 herders from the southern states to Kaduna.
In a swift reaction, Ardo Goge who spoke with journalists at the weekend said only 107 had so far returned since the crisis that erupted in South West two weeks ago.
He lamented that he heard that 4000 herders from South came back to his community and regretted that he and other members were shocked.
According to him “honestly, as a leader I know those who came back from the south in recent times. I can tell you that only 107 of them arrived kaduna with their children, wives and elders.
“They told me that they trekked through the bush paths for 4 days and later joined vehicles to Ladduga.”
According to him, “these herders are peace loving people adding, they have an impeccable good record even before they left ladduga community to the south”.
To this end, he faulted the claim that 4000 herders have arrived his domain saying let the Sema officials and the NGOs who said such numbers are in his domain show him the herders.
“We visited all the new settlements with some journalists and other stakeholders so as to debunk the report on social media that is saying, there are over 4,000 herders.
“These herdsmen are our own people, and we have been living with them in peace and harmony for many years before they migrated to south and now they are back due to threat of attack”
“They are not foreigners, they are kaduna state indigenes it’s the crisis in the south west that brought them back.
“We have given them place to stay. I told them to clear the bush so that they can start building their new homes.”
