Northern elders have condemned yesterday’s disruption of peace summit and attack on participants at Arewa House in Kaduna State by some hoodlums believed to be sponsored.
The elders described the action as heartless considering that the summit organised by the Coalition of Northern Group was meant to address the insecurity plaguing the North and fashion out ways of restoring peace in the region.
Noting that the people attacked had converged to deliberate and find workable solution on the growing insecurity in the North, the elders operating under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development wondered why some people would want insecurity to persist in the North.
Describing the act as not only callous but also reprehensible, the elders alleged that the attackers were sponsored by people perpetrating evils and criminal acts in the region.
But they vowed in a statement by their National Coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni and National Women Leader, Hajiya Mario Bichi that despite the evil act intended to slow down the pace of progress they have made in the region’s peace project, they will remain resolute to achieve their aim.
While reaffirming their avowed support to President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration to succeed, the elders insisted that the actions of the hoodlums and their sponsors had rather boosted their determination to press hard in their quest to see total restoration of peace in the North.
“We condemn in the strongest terms ever the heartless, evil and sponsored well-organized attack on our members and other well-meaning Northern groups under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern Groups at Arewa House in Kaduna State, where we schedule to discuss the high-level insecurity in the country particularly the North.
“We strongly suspect that the hoodlums who carried out the act were sponsored by some highly placed people benefiting from the insecurity in the North.
“This action is callous, reprehensible and the heights of insensitivity, desperation and wickedness.
“However, we wish to inform these enemies of Nigeria that they have just woken the determination in us and we shall continue to press forward our demand for a secured North until total peace and security of our people is restored,” the statement said.
The group vowed that” We shall continue to press forward for better Northern Nigeria and Nigeria at large. They should expect more synergies and determination from us.
“Those that need to be sacked for our security to improve must be shown the way out,” they charged.
They reiterated their support for the president thus:” We wish to finally say that we are with President Muhammadu Buhari 100%.
“But we shall continue to speak truth to power until the life of our people improves.
”We will not be moved by any kind of harassment, and intimidation no matter who is behind the senseless attack”
The elders, added:” We must jointly work for the security of North and Nigeria at large.”
