The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), on Monday, warned the leaders from Igbo extraction to prevail on the secessionists in the South-East region as soon as possible to avoid another war in the country.
Briefing journalists in Abuja after a stormy closed-door meeting, the northern elders stressed that the silence of Igbo leaders is no longer golden in the face of killings of Northerners in the region.
According to the spokesman of NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Northern leaders have resolved not to allow any war in the country, saying the silence by Southern leaders meant they were supporting the secessionists’ agitations.
“The forum has arrived at the difficult conclusion that if support for secession among the Igbo is as widespread as it is being made to look, and Igbo leadership appears to be in support of it, then the country should be advised not stand in its way,” Baba-Ahmed said.
The closed-door meeting, presided over by its Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, maintained that it would not be the best choice for the Igbo or any region to leave the country all well-meaning Nigerians have toiled to build.
Speaking further, the forum insisted that attacks and killings of Northerners and federal government employees and destruction of national assets must stop, adding those who carried out the heinous crimes must be arrested and prosecuted.