Sultan offers himself as sacrificial lamb for Igbos in northern Nigeria

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, has told northern youths thinking of attacking Ndigbo living in the region, to first attack him.

The traditional ruler who spoke when the world Igbo union leader, Dr. Mishack Nnanta, accompanied by resident Igbo chiefs, paid sallah homage to him at his palace.

He said, “If anybody or group of persons plans negative attack on Igbo, he or they should attack me first because I am against the so-called ultimatum issued by the Arewa youths that Igbo should leave the north”.

Speaking on the restructuring debate, the Sultan stated that to his understanding, restructuring does not mean galvanizing or dividing Nigeria, but making “adjustments here and there for equal accommodation of all and sundry in Nigeria for equity and fair play religiously, socially and economically.”

He further observed that the agitation for disintegration “cannot solve any of the problems facing the country” and that “dividing it into many parts is not the solution for the problems bedevilling the nation because this will lead to towns and villages clamouring to become independent.”

Read also: Nigeria is one big family, a tree that can bend but can’t break- Buhari

According to him, the way forward is to sit at a round table to dialogue, and not bearing of arms which would never lead to peace.

He agreed that there were genuine complaints that border on marginalisation, and blamed the nation’s politicians for most of the problems faced by Nigerians.

“They come to you during campaigns, promise you heaven in your house, air conditions on all roads and milk entering your mouth hourly without any effort from you. As soon as they win and go to Abuja, they start planning comfort for themselves while those from the rural areas move to state capitals, abandoning those who voted them,” he lamented.‎

Speaking earlier, Nnanta said that Igbo were peace-loving Nigerians whose stalk-in-trading was engaging in ‎their businesses.

“Igbo cannot leave peacefully in isolation from Nigeria. They should work towards ensuring proper integration, reconstruction as promised by Gen. Yakubu Gowon. They may agitate for creation of more states in the South-East to meet up with other geopolitical zones of the country,” he said.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now