The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has sworn that Ndigbo would never abandon their properties in any part of the country again, especially the N44 trillion assets belonging to Ndigbo residing in the 19 northern states of the country.
OYC made the declaration in a swift response to the ultimatum issued by Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) to Ndigbo residing in the North to leave the region latest by October 1, 2017. AYCF had in a press conference in Kaduna said that “from Tuesday, June 6, 2017, all Igbo currently residing in any part of northern Nigeria are, hereby, served notice to relocate within three months and all northerners residing in the South-East are advised likewise.”
“Our first major move shall be to reclaim, assume and assert sole ownership and control of these landed resources currently owned, rented or in any way enjoyed by the Igbos in any part of northern Nigeria,” the group had said.
Rising from an emergency meeting in Umuahia Wednesday, OYC, the youth wing of the pan-Igbo socio-cultural association, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urged Ndigbo not to move an inch from the North and called for the immediate arrest of the leader of AYCF, Abdullaziz Shetima, and his cohorts who issued the threat.
OYC expressed outrage over the ACYF ultimatum, describing it “as a security threat and a crime against the Nigerian State,” but said that Ndigbo were not cowards and would not abandon their N44 trillion assets and investments in the North.
Addressing journalists after an emergency session tagged, “Igbo Mandate Against Genocide,” OYC called on Ndigbo resident outside the South East “to stay put wherever they were across the country,” urging them “to get ready to defend themselves in the event of anyprovocation and attack by the Arewa youths.” The group, however, advised Ndigbo to be vigilant and report any attacks on them to security operatives.
National President of the OYC (Worldwide), Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, speaking on behalf of the group, said “the ultimatum was a call for war and should be treated as such by security agents.”