Following the recent killing of 16 Northern Travellers in Uromi, Edo State, the Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has warned of potential reprisals across Northern states, including Abuja. The group has also urged Northerners living in the South to return home for their safety.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Ali Muhammad, the CNF condemned what it described as the authorities’ inability to protect Northerners residing outside their region.
The forum cautioned that failure to take decisive action could lead to retaliation, stressing that no group holds a monopoly on lawlessness.
It also decried what it termed recurring targeted attacks and the destruction of property, claiming losses amounting to billions of Naira. The group demanded the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to prevent further violence.
While acknowledging Governor Monday Okpebholo’s visit to Kano, the CNF dismissed it as inadequate, insisting that only justice and concrete action would suffice.
They declared: “Northerners must return home following the brutal murder of Northern hunters in Uromi, Edo State.
“It is unacceptable that while Northerners remain law-abiding and hospitable, they are massacred, and their properties destroyed.
“This pattern has occurred across multiple regions. We are fed up and will not remain passive as our people are slaughtered while the authorities fail to act.
“We demand an end to these attacks. No one has a monopoly on violence. If the authorities remain passive, reprisals are inevitable across Northern states, including Abuja.
“We acknowledge Governor Okpebholo’s visit but insists it is insufficient. We demand justice—the perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted, and the victims’ families must be compensated.
“To prevent future attacks, the government must act decisively. Justice must be served. Northerners are being targeted, their properties destroyed, and they are no longer safe outside the North.
“To avoid further tragedies, all Northerners should return home and focus on building a secure and prosperous region.”
Credit:Naija news