Afenifere to Arewa groups: You are holding a knife to the tiny rope that holds Nigeria together

Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political organisation, says the call by Arewa groups asking the Igbo to vacate the north, is not good for the country.

Some groups had given the Igbo up till October 1 this year to leave the northern region.

Quoting the words of Chinua Achebe in his book, ‘Things Fall Apart’,  Yinka Odumakin, spokesman for Afenifere, told The Sun that “they are holding a knife to the tiny rope that still holds the country together.”

Odumakin said unlike 1967, the northerners had no coalition to fight the Igbo, adding that they would not get support from any Yoruba man.

He then called on the northern elders to caution the youth, ” lest it may be the beginning of the end of Nigeria.”

“Carrying out their threats would be a prelude to another pogrom,” Odumakin said.

“These elements have over the years showed their propensity to attack people, but like the Chinua Achebe said, they are holding a knife to the tiny rope that still holds the country together.

“I hope that if they still have elders, their elders should call them to order, otherwise, it may be the beginning of the end of Nigeria, as we know it.

“They should know that in 1967, they had a coalition to fight the Igbo but that coalition is no more there today. We know the people that fought the last war and won it.

“I can boldly speak for the Yoruba nation, that if the north thinks they can declare another war against the Igbo, it would not work. If they see any Yoruba man joining them to fight the Igbo, then that person must be a mercenary.

“The Igbo were not fighting, neither were they causing any crisis, but were just trying to make their grievances known in a peaceful manner.

“Why should they be threatened? For northerners to tell them to leave the north is sad for the polity.”

Uche Madu, leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), said the quit notice did not come as a surprise.

He told the Igbo to vacate the land before the expiration of the notice.

“MASSOB is aware that such rascality will happen,” Madu said.

“As a matter of fact, this is the only rascality exhibited by sponsored Arewa youths to forcefully exit the people of Biafra residing in Arewa land that MASSOB will 100 percent support.

“Their Boko Haram tactics didn’t work as planned. We pledge our total support towards this divinely approved quit notice.

“MASSOB congratulates the Arewa political, religious, traditional and opinion leaders who sponsored their youths wing by using Arewa House in Kaduna for this greatest meeting of a coalition of Islamic fundamentalist.

“As there is no other alternative to stop Biafra freedom, the northern leaders have resorted to using their youth wing to start terrorising the people of Biafra living in the northern region.

“What they saw during the sit-at-home exercise to mark the 50th anniversary celebration of Biafra declaration by General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu marvelled them irrespective of the promises made to them by their stooges in Biafra land.

“MASSOB urge our people to start returning home now. Don’t wait till the three months for quit notice to expire. MASSOB is begging our people to re invest their investments back to Biafra land.”