The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has strongly condemned the recent eviction order issued to northerners residing in Avavo, Delta State, as reported by the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy in a statement on Wednesday, said the action was deeply concerning and unacceptable.
He said, “According to the BBC report, the ejection order fails to distinguish between northerners as a race and the criminal activities of a few individuals. It disregards that most northerners are not Fulani, most Fulani are not cattle herders, and only some cattle herders in Nigeria are Fulani.
“It unfairly generalizes that the crimes of some herdsmen extend to all cattle herders or northerners. Such sweeping accusations ignore the reality that the vast majority of northerners, including those living outside the North, are peaceful individuals with similar needs, anxieties, and hopes as other Nigerians.
“The NEF is alarmed by the erosion of the consciousness that for decades, different tribes in Nigeria have coexisted peacefully in various parts of the country without facing discriminatory laws that intimidate, harass, and endanger them, their families, properties, or trades. It is important to remind all Nigerians that the country’s laws mandate that every Nigerian can live and earn a legitimate livelihood in any part of Nigeria without facing discrimination or molestation.”
Suleiman said the NEF was saddened by the “persistent unfair targeting and vilification” of northerners in other regions of the country.
“Despite the North’s renowned values of respect, integrity, and decency, its people repeatedly become scapegoats for the nation’s issues, with narratives often distorted to paint them in a negative light. In the face of these relentless provocations and unjust treatment as minorities in parts of the South however, the North has remained composed, patient, and committed to national unity and integration. A point comes when enough is enough; the North cannot stand idly by as the dignity and integrity of its people are continually threatened,” he added.
He noted that NEF would therefore continue to advocate for the rights of northerners to be free from illegal harassment in their places of residence and work.
“Our commitment extends to their rights to worship, justice, and full protection as minorities in other Nigerian communities. Northerners living and conducting lawfulbusinesses in Delta State deserve respect and dignity, not baseless accusations and unwarranted attacks,” Suleiman said.
He rejected any vilification based on ethnicity or religion and urged all northerners living outside the North to continue to exercise restraint and responsibility while firmly avoiding any form of discrimination and injustice.
He then called for an immediate review and reversal of the eviction order against northerners in Avavo and demanded an end to the unfair targeting and vilification of northerners.
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