New Telegraph

Northern Elders distance selves from alleged #EndSARS killings

…accuses Prof. Ango of attempting to instigate ethnic violence

Regina Otokpa, Abuja

The Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, has distanced themselves from a statement by Prof. Ango Abdullahi, which claimed that many persons from the North were killed during the #EndSARS protest in the South Eastern part of the country.
The elders, who accused Prof. Abdullahi of attempting to instigate ethnic violence with what was described as “misguided statement,” advised Nigerians to ignore what they maintained was a personal opinion of Abdullahi and not the general position of Northern elders as he portrayed.
The statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni and National Women’s Leader, Hajia Mario Bichi, said Abdullahi’s unfounded killing claim at a time Nigerians had put to past the ugly civil war experiences and were building bridges and working on consolidating national reconciliation, was the least unfortunate
The statement reads in part: “We wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the statement credited to a well-read and  respected elder statesman from our region, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, to the effect that  Igbo people killed many northerners in the South East  during the #EndSARS protest  which was hijacked by some sponsored criminal elements.
“This statement is false, unfortunate, insensitive, callous and meant to instigate Nigerians against one other. Making this unfounded claim,especially at a time Nigerians had worked past the ugly civil war experiences and are building bridges and consolidating on national reconciliation, is the least unfortunate.
“We wish to let Nigerians know that Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s statement was his personal opinion and did not represent the position of Northern Elders as he had portrayed.
“We expect that an elder statesman of his status with such level of education ought to have known the difference between criminality and ethnic agenda.
“What happened in some South East states was a pure act of criminality and  not an Igbo agenda and was not  peculiar to the region. How  can he say  Igbo people killed Northerners? Nothing can be more misleading than  this.
“People were killed and properties destroyed in several parts of the country including some parts of the North.  It is unfair to attribute this act of some misguided deviants as a collective Igbo agenda.
“It is an established facts that during and  after the uprising, so many Igbo group rose to condemn the attacks by these criminals and even shared intelligence with security agencies which led to the arrest of so many of these misguided youths.
“Prominent groups in Igbo land also condemned the activities of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra,IPOB, in public. So we wonder where Prof. Ango got his fact from.”

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