Sequel to the quit notice issued to Igbos in the north and the subsequent controversies this has generated, the leader of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Shettima Yerima, who was among those that issued the threat said he would submit himself for questioning if declared wanted.
According to him, he was not on the run and had nothing to fear because he only expressed his views as a Nigerian.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that prominent Northern youth associations after a recent joint meeting tagged ‘Kaduna Declaration’ issued a serious threat to Igbos residing in the region to vacate on or before October 1 (Nigeria’s Independence Day) 2017 or face physical attacks.
Apart from Yerima, those who endorsed the resolution were Nastura Sharif (Arewa Citizens Action for Change); Aminu Adam (Arewa Youth Development Foundation); Alfred Solomon (Arewa Students Forum); Abdul-Azeez Suleiman (Northern Emancipation Network) as well as Joshua Viashman (Northern Youth Vanguard).
However, in an interview with The Punch, the AYCF leader said he would voluntarily surrender himself if invited by security agencies.
In his words: “I did not go into hiding and will never go into hiding. We need to put the record straight. For now, nobody is looking for me and I am ready to submit myself if I am called. I am not a joker. Nobody is looking for me and I am not hiding anywhere from anybody. I am in my village, I am a Nigerian. If anybody looks for me, I will submit myself. I am not above the law. I am not on the run.”
While insisting that he would not go into hiding, Yerima insisted that the Igbo should leave Nigeria.
He said, “Why should I go into hiding? I have a name, I have a face. I am not faceless.
“I am not hiding anywhere. Why should I hide? Where did I go wrong? Somebody wants to go and I said, ‘go, you’re free to go’. What is wrong with it?
“You cannot be in our country and begin to clamour for another country. Go to your place and declare your own country, not in my zone. It is a simple language. I have not committed any offence.”