ACF Urges To Stop Describing The Northerners As Boko Haram Members

A renowned socio-political organization from Northern Nigeria, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), strongly condemned all the attempts to tag the people from northern part of the country as Boko Haram members, sponsors. The ACF also emphasized on the danger of detaining people based just on their origin, faith or appearance.

The position of the group was declared by the National Publicity Secretary of the organization, Muhammad Ibrahim.
In his electronic message, forwarded to SaharaReporters, the ACF expressed deep concern over the arrest of about 486 people from the North in Abia state.




* "Boko Haram suspects" arrested in Abia State. Photo credit - TheCable

The ACF noted that these people have done nothing wrong, and they were just travelling in search for better life, hoping to earn money by legitimate means. However, the state government in cooperation with the Federal Government prevented them from achieving this goal.

The organization also lamented that the men have been allegedly subjected to ill treatment and hardship in the hands of security agencies. This turn of event, if confirmed, negates the spirit of one Nigeria and violates peoples' freedom of movement and association, as grated by the Constitution of the country.

The statement further noticed that arresting people "simply on account of their faith, origin and appearance" is unacceptable, because such a move would make law-abiding and innocent citizens suffer in the hands of security agencies. This also turns people of one country into foreigners in their fatherland.

At the same time the ACF noted that it supports operations which are targeting Boko Haram insurgents and their evil activities.

The organization urged the State Government of Abia and other relevant authorities to exercise caution on the alleged arrest and interrogations of Jigawa indigenes.

"Nigerians deserves adequate protection of their lives and property wherever they are from their Governments. Therefore, Governments should ensure peaceful coexistence among Nigerians in any part of the country irrespective of their faith and origin," the statement concluded.

It would be recalled that 33 buses were stopped by military and security operatives in Abia State on June 15, 2014, Sunday. The DHQ insisted that the operation and the screening of about 486 passengers bear fruit, as a terror kingpin had already been detected among them.

Boko are Ram have one dynamic goal, which is to turn the whole Nigeria into an Islamic country, and they will kill and destroy to achieve it. They (ACF) should call their brothers (boko are Ram) to order and stop sending their agents unto the nooks and crannies of Nigeria all in the name of searching for greener pastures, while infact they are trying to occupy and expand the Islamic religion to every where in Nigeria, when they have finished occupying strategic position, we will now be forced to accept Islam or Die. I cannot blame the Igbos in Abia and its environs for what they are doing to the northerners, bcos most of their people were being killed in the north and the mass exodus of the northerners to the southern parts of the country especially in Rivers state (Amaechi na their boy boy) and also in Bonny Island, one will begin to wonder and be very cautious about his aboki neighbors (like 15 aboki go dey sleep inside one caravan), in summary, " Let the monkey's hand be removed from the pot of soup b4 it turns into a human hand".