ACF To FG: Probe Nyako’s Allegations Without Delay

The pan-northern socio-cultural organization, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday urged the Federal Government to immediately investigate Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako’s allegations of genocide against the North as well as external and third party support for the Boko Haram insurgents.

Nyako, in a letter to the Northern State Governors Forum, accused President Goodluck Jonathan of inept leadership in the handling of the Boko Haram insurgency.

He also alleged that the Presidency was behind the activities of the sect, which he labelled a genocide against the North.

But the Presidency in a counter-response described the letter as senseless, while berating the governor as a disaster in leadership and a disgrace to the military profession, where he rose to the rank of vice-admiral.

ACF in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the government should also investigate the source of funds, arms and ammunition the insurgents have been using.

The statement reads: “Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, in a letter dated April 16 sent to the Governors of Northern States accused the ‘Federal Government of genocide against the people of the North.

“He alleged that the Federal Government has failed to arrest the mindless slaughter and indiscriminate bloodletting by Boko Haram insurgents and other terrorist groups, which is a clear and systematic effort to destroy the Northern population for partisan political advantage.

“ACF had in the last six years expressed serious concern on the spate of killings and destruction of property by the Boko Haram insurgents and other criminals in the North, especially in the North East region. It had also appealed to government at various levels on the need to adequately equip and fund its military and other security personnel to tackle the insecurity challenges bedevilling the North.

“Unfortunately, the measures employed by government, including a state of emergency, have not yielded the desired result, hence the incessant attacks and kidnaping of innocent people by the insurgents and unknown gunmen.

“The scale and sophistication of the attacks being waged by the insurgents against harmless people, who do not even know or understand their grievance, are beyond the capacity of the semi-literate almajiri (Boko Haram) that we know.

“It will be recalled that not long ago, our military command informed the world that it had found and destroyed over 700 vehicles belonging to the insurgents in one of their camps.

“How come the killings and kidnappings have continued, especially in the Northeast region?

“ACF had earlier called on the government to investigate the source of funds, arms and ammunition the insurgents have used in their deadly acts of terrorism against the people without much resistance from our security forces deployed in the affected states.

“Therefore, Governor Nyako, being a victim of the calamity that has afflicted the Northern states, is only expressing the frustrations being felt by other victims.

“The ACF therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently investigate the allegations made by Governor Nyako, especially the support being enjoyed by the insurgents from third parties within and outside Nigeria in order to get to the root of this insecurity ravaging the North”.