Quit Notice: IYC blasts security agencies over alleged double standard

By Samuel Oyadongha

YENAGOA —The Eric Omare-led Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide, yesterday, accused security agencies of double standard in their handling of the Arewa youth leaders quit notice to Igbo in the north.

According to the IYC, the Arewa youths quit notice amounts to grave threat to national security and the indivisibility of the country.

Omare in a statement noted that the relevant security agencies have deliberately turned a deaf ear to the security threat posed by the Arewa youths treasonable quit notice.

He said: “The kid gloves treatment being given to the Arewa youth leaders by security agencies smacks of double standard in their handling of youth groups and agitators from different parts of the country.

“The IYC is sure that if similar threats had been issued by youths from  other parts of the country, especially the Niger Delta region, communities such as Kaiama, Okerenkoko, Warri, Yenagoa and indeed the entire Niger Delta region would have been under security siege.

“We totally and in strongest words condemn this double standard by the Nigeria security agencies. It is totally unacceptable for security agencies to apply double standard in response to security threats in different parts of the country. The standard applied to youth groups and agitators in the south should also be applied to the same class of people from the north.

“The questionable position of the security agencies indicates that some very powerful persons in the north and the Federal Government are behind the Arewa youths. This fact has already been confirmed by Arewa youth leader, Yerima Shettima, who said their leaders are behind them.

“The IYC is confident that if Yerima Shettima and his co-travellers were to be Niger Deltans, they would have been behind bars now. It is on record that Niger Delta activists such as Daniel Ezekiel, Jones Abiri and others are still in detention without trial for mere allegations of threat to national security.”

“The IYC, therefore, calls on the security agencies to rise above politics and stop the double standard in the performance of their duties. The Arewa youth leaders, who issued the treasonable quit notice to Igbo in the north should be made to account for their actions to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and property as a result of their notice.”

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