Arewa’s quit notice unconstitutional —Ikimi

The Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, (CENTREP) has described as unconstitutional and an act of collective punishment the quit notice issued by some Northern youths for the Igbo to vacate Northern Nigerian.

Executive Director of CENTREP, Oghenejabor Ikimi, in a statement made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, on Saturday,  insisted that the Igbo have inalienable right to self-determination.

While condemning the action of the Arewa youths, Ikimi called on them to tender an apology to the entire country while commending the police authorities for their swift response.

“Gentlemen of the Press, the attention of members of the Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, (Centrep) has been drawn to the quit notice handed down by some Arewa youth groups to the Igbo living in the northern part of Nigeria, and we condemn same as both unconstitutional and an act of collective punishment.

We believe that the Igbo as an ethnic nationality in the Nigerian federation has a right to self determination as long as same is done in a peaceful and civilised manner.

“We are not oblivious of the fact that the struggle for self determination vide a Biafrian Republic being championed by some Igbo-led groups is perceived by some sections of the country to be a crime.

“We make bold to say that the aforesaid Arewa youth groups, quit notice in the light of the above amounts to collectively punishing the entire Igbo ethnic nationality for the above perceived crime, allegedly committed by some Igbo led groups championing the cause of self determination.