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‘The North is under siege,’ ACF reacts to Kaduna train attack

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Wednesday condemned the terrorists’ attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train with over 900 people on board.

An unspecified number of people were killed on Monday night when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by the criminals in one of the train’s coaches went off and forced it to derail a few minutes into the trip.

In a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, the ACF described the frequent attacks by terrorists in the Northern region as unacceptable.

The group insisted that the frequency of the attacks had shown that the region is under a siege.

The statement read: “The ACF commiserate with the souls lost, sympathises with the wounded and prays for an end to such ugly menace, not only in Kaduna State, but all over the federation.

“The fact that both air and rail systems, out of Kaduna, have been compromised, it is to be expected that a sensitive government should protect the only route (Kaduna/Abuja highway).

The attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train is unacceptable, and the frequency of such attacks on our towns and villages, highways and now train tracks and airports are lamentable.

“The banditry and terrorism have excised the North and the major economic activities of North-East and the North-West with a new ploy to block Kaduna which is the main gateway to the Northern part of the country.

“One can, easily, recall how the lives and economy of the Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, and Kaduna (Birnin Gwari and Southern parts of Kaduna), were damaged, and now, taking their turn on the infrastructure.

“We call on northerners to remain positive and law-abiding, and not relent in their resilience and hope towards making lives better.

We also call on the Federal and State Governments to, as a matter of urgency, revisit their security architecture, with a view to protecting lives and property of Nigerians.

Afenifere says the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) cannot threaten the south-west with a civil war.

Following the call by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on the Federal Government to stop attacks on Fulani communities in South-west to prevent another civil war, Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere has told the ACF not to threaten the region with a war.

On Friday, January 22, 2021, some cars and houses inhabited by the Fulani at Igangan in the Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo state were set ablaze after a Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho and his supporters stormed the town.

Two people reportedly died due to the subsequent clash between Yoruba youths and the Fulani in the area.
Reacting to the incident in a statement, Emmanuel Yawe, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF said such act may destabilise the country. He added that the civil war started with such attacks.

The statement reads in part: “The Arewa Consultative Forum this morning received reports of an attack by Yoruba Youths on Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Serki Fulani in Oyo State.
“In the reports, he was attacked and driven out of his house, eleven cars and his house burnt with his family members now living in the bush.

Chief Audu Ogbe and other members of the Arewa Consultative Forum.

There are allegations that one Sunday Igboho an agitator for Oodua Republic and who issued an ultimatum giving Fulani people seven days to leave Yorubaland is the instigator of the attack.

“The most disturbing aspect of the attack is the allegation that the security agents who were earlier warned about its imminence stood by helplessly as the attack was carried out.

“The ACF is worried about this trend and calls on the Federal and State Governments in the South West to move quickly to avert a social upheaval that may destabilize the whole country.

“We recall that the civil war in the 60’s started with attacks and counter-attacks like this. The governments must be proactive and stop history from repeating itself.

However, Afenifere has described the ACF’s statement as insulting and arrogant.

The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin the ACF cannot threaten the south-west with a civil war.

“While we have gone to a great length to sue for peace and have appealed to our pained people to be law-abiding even with the daily provocations of the Fulani and harassment of our people, we frown at the very arrogant and insulting ACF statement, especially their reference to the event of 1966.

“We must make it clear to them that they cannot threaten us with a war at this stage as we will not provoke war but never are we going to run for anybody on our land.

“We are miffed that a body like ACF that has never shown any remorse over the killing of our people can open their mouths anyhow now because there are consequences for the irresponsible actions of their people,” Odumakin said.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed has ordered the arrest of Igboho over the eviction notice he issued to herdsmen in Oyo.

The IGP has reportedly directed the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko to arrest Igboho and transfer him Abuja.