The northern religious, traditional and political leaders must wake up to put an end to the barbaric killing of northerners. For multiple and several times, northerners have been burnt and slaughtered in the Southern part and some northern parts of Nigeria without justification. The government had only made promises in the past, but no concrete actions have been taken to ensure justice is served.
Are northerners second-class citizens? Northerners have continued experience the pain of this inhumane treatment in the hands of mob killers from some southern states, but none of the perpetrators has been brought to face the wrath of the law so that their pains can be erase from their memories about the animalistic acts on their fellow brothers and sisters.
Why must it always be the North, yet no action is taken? Unfortunately, northerners have continued to demonstrate their maturity, but their cries against the barbaric killings have gone unanswered.
When soldiers mistakenly bombed the people of Tudun Biri in Kaduna state, resulting in the loss of over 100 lives, many political and security agencies vowed to investigate the issue, but still, the incidents of killing northerners remain unanswered.
In May 2022, there was the gruesome killing of Harira Jibrin, a 32-year-old woman, who was nine months pregnant, alongside her four children– Fatima (nine), Khadija (seven), Hadiza (five) and Zaituna (two) – in Anambra state by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). This case has also remained unanswered.
Northerners are known for their kindness, maturity, and love for peace. They open their communities to people from Southern Nigeria, allowing them to conduct business without any hassle. I am seriously scared and afraid of what may happen if these barbaric killings continue without taking actions and the northern people reach their breaking point.
Since this inhumane incidents severally occurred and is not the first time that these bloodshed of northerners happened in the South, I call on the governors, particularly, states of the victims like Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa, Bauchi, and the top traditional rulers in the North, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, the Kano Emirate, Zazzau Emirate, Katsina Emirate, among others, to lead a delegation to meet with traditional rulers and state governors in the South to find a lasting solution to the killings.
The purpose of the delegation is to demonstrate their pains on behalf of the northern people by pressuring them to ensure that justice is served. Sending condolence messages is not enough, because many incidents have happened, but these incidents persist without any action being taken to end them in the South.
I wonder, is it the media in South that portrays northerners as people without value in the country, or did their parents nurture them to hate northerners or their traditional rulers or from their educational institutions or religious leaders? I believe there must be something wrong in how their institutions or agents of socialisation operate.
If they are not part of those who instilled such bad attitudes for the sake of survival and unity in our country, they must wake up and give orientation about such negative perceptions they have towards northerners.
Unfortunately, in the South, no matter how well-educated and intelligent you are, you are still labeled with the derogatory term “Aboki” as far as you are from the North. I strongly believe it’s high time for traditional and religious leaders and the government in Northern Nigeria to come together to put an end to these barbaric acts of killings .
Though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Deputy Senate President Barau I Jibrin, Northern Governors Forum, Northern Senators, and some notable people have condemned the recent act of violence, it’s crucial that the government acknowledges the previous memories of past incidents where actions were not taken.
The people of Northern Nigeria still vividly recall these unresolved incidents, and it’s essential that the government takes concrete and necessary measures to address them and ensure justice is served.
The government must recognise that mere condemnation is not enough; concrete and tangible actions are necessary to prevent future occurrences and restore trust among the people and the government commitment to protecting the rights and lives of all citizens, regardless of their region or background. CONTINUE READING
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