A socio-cultural organisation, Middle Belt Patriots, has strongly condemned recent threats by the Northern Consensus Movement, which vowed to stop the supply of food stuffs to the southern part of the country.

This information was conveyed through a statement issued by the organisation’s Secretary, Patrick Anum, last Sunday in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.

Anum in his statement emphasised that the Middle Belt is distinct from northern Nigeria, and disassociated itself from the reckless statements made by the Northern Consensus Movement.

He pointed out that the Middle Belt territories were included in the proposed conflict with their host communities in Yoruba land without consultation, and the historical differences between the two groups run deep. The Northern Consensus Movement’s decision to halt the supply of food from the North to the South was a reaction to statements attributed to the Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, who called for violent Fulanis to vacate Yoruba land within 10 days.

In response, NCM President, Awwal Aliyu, during a press conference, vowed to take all necessary measures to prevent this action, adding that if the threat persists, Yoruba people living in the northern regions, including the Middle Belt states, would be asked to also leave.

Anum expressed disappointment in the one-sided approach adopted by the NCM in addressing the issue, stressing that the current situation calls for condemnation of the activities of marauding Fulani herders responsible for destroying farmlands and killing innocent Nigerians, including in the northern regions that the NCM claims to represent.

According to Anum, “What we expected from the Northern Consensus Movement was a condemnation of the marauding herdsmen and a commitment to assist law enforcement agencies in apprehending criminal elements of Fulani descent responsible for the atrocities in Yoruba land.”

He further clarified that Sunday Igboho’s ultimatum was specifically aimed at the rampaging herdsmen responsible for insecurity in the Southwest and not at all Fulani and Hausa communities in Yoruba land. “Any organisation feeling threatened by actions against criminal elements in Nigeria should be investigated for potential dangerous affiliations”

He also talked about the complexity of Nigeria, emphasising that there is no homogeneous ‘one North’ policy in 2023, and the reality is far from it, saying Nigeria’s geopolitical landscape requires diplomatic resolution rather than conflict.

“The creation of states aimed to emancipate ethnic minorities, and it’s crucial not to instigate conflicts or exploit the over 200 ethnic groups in the Middle Belt as a pretext. Instead, the focus should be on denouncing crime and exposing criminal elements within their midst, refraining from shielding them or casting blame on others,” he stated. (THISDAY)

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