Pyrates Condemn Call for Igbos to Quit North

The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), a.k.a Pyrates Confraternity has condemned the recent ultimatum by a Coalition of Northern Youth Groups demanding that all Igbos resident in northern Nigeria, should quit the region in 90 days or face the consequences.

In a statement signed by NAS international leader, Arthur Boje, in Abuja, the group described the threat to the Igbos as “hateful, intemperate and clearly designed to incite violence and create instability and chaos in the Nigerian state. We, therefore, urge the federal government, the security agencies and all other relevant authorities to match their words of rebuke with the appropriate action of arresting the culprits immediately”.

The association further stated that: “Without a shadow of a doubt, every Nigerian citizen, regardless of their ethnic background, is guaranteed the right under the Nigerian Constitution to move freely, and to reside, acquire and own immovable property in any part of the country without molestation. The text and tenor of the so-called Kaduna Declaration clearly violate these constitutional rights of the persons and ethnic group at which they are targeted.”

While being supportive of peaceful initiatives towards self-determination by ethnic groups or people, NAS condemned the excesses of separatist groups like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), stating however, that “we believe that much of the turmoil being experienced in Nigeria of late including the growth and activities of such groups as the IPOB, MASSOB, Niger Delta Avengers, Odua People’s Congress and indeed the proponents of the dastardly Kaduna Declaration are symptomatic of the mass dissatisfaction of the Nigerian people with the structure and practice of our peculiar brand of federalism”.

It urged both the executive and legislative arms of government to carefully consider these issues and take urgent steps towards systematically collating and resolving the grievances and agitations of the various constituent parts of the country, insisting that: “A restructured Nigeria will also be a step towards resolving many of the issues that have given rise to discontent among the various peoples and regions of the country.”