Zamfara warns Osun against sending back Northern youths who sneaked into the state

The Zamfara State Government Thursday warned the Osun State Government against its planned deportation of youths who sneaked into the state from the Northern part of the country.

The Zamfara govt gave the warning in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Zailani Bappa, on Thursday.

It would be recalled that the Osun State Government had raised the alarm on Wednesday over the large influx of northern youths, especially Zamfara indigenes, into the state.

The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of Osun State, Prince Adeyanju Biniyo, had accused the northerners of “sneaking” into the state, threatening that the Osun Amotekun Corps has been notified to arrest and deport the “strangers”.

Bappa, in the statement on Thursday, said the position of the Southwest state government wrong faulty, insisting that the Zamfara youths are Nigerian who can reside in any state.

“The attention of Zamfara State Government was drawn to a story credited to the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of Osun State, Prince Adeyanju Abdullahi Biniyo, where he alleged “an influx of Zamfara indigenes” into the state and described it as “dangerous”.

“As if the entrants brought in war, he also called on the Osun indigenes ‘not to panic’ as the state has instructed Amotekun to fish them out and ensure that anyone escorting trucks that offload goods is turned back and escorted out of the state.

“Doubtlessly, the above position as portrayed by the Deputy Chief of Staff is not statesmanly and smacks of bad taste. Indeed, it is condescending and totally negates good practices expected of leaders in a Federal setting such as Nigeria.

“It is, therefore, against federal law to instruct Amotekun to arrest “all Northern Youth who had escaped into the state by hiding in trucks” as quoted by Mr Binuyo for deportation back to their so-called state of origin.

“Nigeria and the World at large is facing a serious and challenging pandemic. All civilised societies are joining hands together to fight the spread of this pandemic and even extending helping hands to others. It is, therefore, disheartening that Osun state will take the path of isolating assumed outsiders and segregating what should be a common fight by all Nigerians”, the statement reads in part.

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