THE COALITION of Northern Groups has withdrawn the quit notice given to the Igbo living in the North to leave before October 1.

Leaders of Arewa Youths announced the withdrawal to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, August 24, after their meeting with Ibrahim Shettima, governor of Borno State, who is also the chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, and Kabiru Gaya, former governor of Kano State.

Others who attended the meeting are Sani Daura, ex-minister and Shettima Yerima, leader of Arewa Youths Council, and Kenneth okonkwo, a  Nollywood actor.

According to Arewa Youths, it decided to withdraw the threat because of the intense persuasive pressure on the group from concerned political, traditional and religious leaders in the country.

Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, a member of the Northern Emancipation Network, read the text of the press conference stating: “Most significance was our correspondence with the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and most recently our interface with the Presidency through the Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu.

“As a consequence of these vigorous engagements and as a cultured people with a tradition of respect for our nation’s values, leaders and elders, we are today pleased to announce the immediate suspension of the relocation clause otherwise referred to as the quit notice from the Kaduna Declaration.”

The youths, Suleiman said, were not afraid of sticking with the notice, but said that the suspension was as a result of the respect the group had for a “united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.”

The text was signed by leaders of the 14 groups, including Yerima, the leader of Youth Consultative Forum who read the Kaduna Declaration, where the quit notice was given.

However, Suleiman said that the group would pursue its petition to the United Nations and the call on the federal government to mete appropriate sanction to Nnamdi kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

He equally called “for the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and for his appropriate prosecution while calling on the Senate to demand that all senators who stood surety for him in court should rescind their bond or be suspended accordingly.”

The group further promised to “remain available for further interaction with other groups including those from the South-East with a view to building a greater united Nigeria.”

On his part, Shettima commended the group for suspending the quit notice order, adding that the concern of the northern governors was to prevent people from hiding under the notice to harm other Nigerians.

He said there was no need to withdraw the quit notice via a statement, adding that “we are here to ensure that the quit notice was publicly withdrawn the same way it was made publicly,” adding that the order would have been withdrawn earlier than now but was done later to avoid any division within the groups.

“I am proud of Nigerians and I am also proud of the Igbo,” he said, noting that the hope of the black man rests on a united Nigeria.

– Aug 25, 2017 @ 09:00 GMT