Politics
THE federal government on Wednesday, June 7, said there was no cause for alarm on the threat issued to the Igbo by Northern youths on Tuesday, June 6.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Lai Mohammed, minister of Information, said security agents were on top of the situation.
Mohammed, who was accompanied to the briefing by four other ministers – Isaac Adewole (Health), Abubakar Malami (Justice), Ogbonnaya Onu (Science and Technology) and Adebayo Shittu (Communication), said Nigeria was not new to one group or another issuing such threats.
He said: “The issue of one or two groups issuing statements that is capable of destabilising the polity did not just start today or did not start yesterday.
“What I want to assure you is that security organizations are very very much on top of this matter.”
On whether the ultimatum given by the group was discussed at the FEC, the minister said simply replied “No.”
A coalition of the Northern groups, including the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum at a press conference held in Kaduna, gave all Igbos living in the 19 northern states a three-month ultimatum to quit or be forced out after the expiration of the October 1 deadline.
The groups also called on northerners living in the South-East to prepare to come back home.
The ultimatum by the northern groups followed the May 30 sit-at-home order enforced on the five South-East states by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
— Jun 7, 2017 @ 18:00 GMT
Tags: Arewa Youth Biafra federal government information IPOB Lai Mohammed minister Nnamdi Kanu Northern groups security
