The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has accused the security agencies of targeting northern Muslims in the arrest of 486 persons in Abia State on Sunday.
The men, all aged between 16 and 24, were being conveyed in 33 buses when they were arrested at the road between Aro-Ngwa and Imo Gate along the expressway by soldiers assigned to the 144 battalion.
While two buses were said to have escaped, those arrested were reportedly unable to disclose their destination.
But the northern socio-cultural organisation, ACF, issued a statement in Kaduna on Wednesday saying the arrested persons were pursuing their legitimate “means of livelihood in the southern part of the country”.
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The statement was signed by the organisation’s national publicity secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim.
ACF said the suspects were arrested in the southern part of the country not only because of suspicion of being Boko Haram members “but because of their faith, origin and appearance”.
“Indiscriminate arrests based on faith and origin negate the spirit of one Nigeria and equally violates the freedom of movement and association as guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution,” it said.
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ACF alleged that the suspects were subjected to ill treatment and hardship in the hands of security agencies following their arrest.
The forum said it was not against operations against Boko Haram insurgents but “the arrest of people on account of their religion, their origin and the appearance is condemnable.
“This is because such an action will make innocent and law abiding citizens of a particular origin or faith to suffer unduly in the hands of security operatives.
“ACF therefore calls on the relevant authorities and in particular the Abia State government to exercise caution on the alleged arrest of Jigawa indigenes on suspicion of being Boko Haram members, lest such an action make some people of a particular faith and origin become foreigners in their fatherland.
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“Nigerians deserves adequate protection of their lives and property wherever they are from their governments therefore, governments, should ensure peaceful coexistence among Nigerians in any part of the country irrespective of their faith and origin.”
The military said on Tuesday that a “terror kingpin” had been identified among the arrested persons.
6 comments
Please this country is suffering from unprecedented insurrection and we should all concerned avoid bringing primordial sentiments into this matter. All ration human beings know that this sort of movement by such a large number in the dead of the night is highly suspicious and must be properly interrogated to ascertain what is happening. And please let us not rise to defense based purely on sentiments! And the law must run its course unhindered no matter who commits an offence; any offence!
ACF: is d terror king pin one of those doing legit business in d south east? And what cld mk 2 buses to escape if actually there is no skeleton in those buses? Why travelling in d dead of d 9t?
Crocodile tears.. Even a child knw something is wrong.. Can the 486 passengers or travellers show individual ticket for the journey, address of their destination and purpose of the journey. Why dd the other 2 buses ran away. And finally who sponsored the trip..
Hausa-Fulani vegetable n food traders traveling in good buses to the east? come on, who is deceiving who. And 33 of such buses in a convoy with one of the most wanted men in this country among them? Must ACF defend everything?
Jonathan does not need any further investigation to identify the sponsors of terror. let the terrorists all look alike, come from the same family, speak the same language and share same faith, they must be arrested and processed thru the law. ACF must be placed on the watch list.
Place ACF on the watch list.