Leadership of some northern groups involved in commercial activities between the North and South East zone have directed commodity traders and truck drivers to shun the zone over incessant killings of their members by members of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
Coordinator of the Northern Consensus Forum, Dr Auwal Abdullahi Aliyu, told Daily Trust that they have declared 3 days warning strike due to the constant killing of the northerners in the South East, adding that not less than 100 northerners were murdered in the zone within last week.
He said the strike action became necessary so as to stop northern youths from taking laws into their hands in retaliation for continued killings.
Aliyu said the strike, which began on Thursday (yesterday) has started yielding positive impact adding that they have notified security agencies and all state governors in the North and those in the affected zone.
Movement of supply trucks is said to be halted on major routes since the commencement of the boycott order with prices of food items soaring in major towns in the South East and the South South zones.
“We have blocked the roads linking the North to the East ranging from Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara and Plateau state among others, and the truck drivers are cooperating with us, “ he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Arewa Progressives Forum for 17 states in Southern Nigeria, Malam Badamasi Muhammad told Daily Trust that most northerners living in the villages of the South East have relocated back to the North over fear of the incessant attacks. He said only few people who are living in major cities remain, though they also live in panic.
He said most of those who are still in the South East are there because they have no other options.
“The main reasons why we and others are still here is lack of sufficient opportunities in the North and some of us are used to living in the South East. Many were born and brought up here, many don’t have any other thing to do in the North. Some will prefer to stay here due to the level of the poverty in the North, but as I am talking to you, many have vacated and moved back to the North.
“We used to have many of our people in the villages of South East before; mainly petty traders, those selling beef skewers, cobblers, etc. All have now left due to the activities of the Biafra agitators. It is getting worse these days,” he said.
He expressed happiness with the order to stop commodities from the North getting to the South East, saying it will save the lives of those involved.
“We are very happy with this measure. It’s an action that will send messages to the governors and traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the zone. Our members are being murdered daily. Happily, the federal government has been taking action by deploying huge security formations within the cities, these killers need to be arrested and brought to book. If a young man will make a tweet and will be traced by security men and arrested, what stops the same security agencies from tracing these killers?” He asked.