Northern groups comprising the Coalition of Northern Groups in Nigeria (CNG) and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) have described as ‘unacceptable’ the attack on Northerners at the cattle market in Abia State which claimed the lives of eight people.
Hoodlums had on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at about 11:35 pm invaded traders at the New Cattle Market located in Omumauzor, Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State killing eight people.
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The groups while reacting to the attack in separate statements condemned the act and called on the government of Abia state to bring the culprits to book.
The CNG Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman said the state government must act quickly to bring the culprits to book and warned that the North would no longer tolerate unwarranted attacks on its people living as minorities in the South East or any other part of the country.
Suleiman, “We have studied the unfolding events carefully and with considerable restraint and maturity, to the point of condoning and accommodating several unreasonable and unacceptable actions that have been perpetrated against northerners in the South East in particular.
“The recent attack in Abia has taken matters to a point whereby silence has become complicity and inaction is no longer an option in the face of unprovoked evictions, attacks and killings of northerners in various parts of the South East.”
Similarly, the National President of the AYCF, Alhaji Yerima shettima said, “As a group, we are still deeply concerned about the murder of northerners resident in Abia, who are doing legitimate business. We are also deeply touched by the report of scores of others sustaining various degrees of injury and have now been hospitalized.”
While condemning the attack on innocent citizens from the north trading to earn a living, he welcomed the prompt response of security agencies and the Abia State Government for going after the killers and rushing the injured ones to the hospital.
He then urged the Abia State Government to pursue its promise to bring the killers to book, in the spirit of national unity and stability.
“The AYCF will be following closely the efforts of Abia State Government to fulfil its promise of providing compensation for the families and survivors of the attack. We pray this should be last bad news we would hear about innocent Northern traders, from not just Abia but the entire Southeast, in the spirit of national unity and stability,” he added.
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