•Demand national conference About 300 ethnic minority groups in the North, who said they were being marginalised, have called for the convocation of a national conference as a solution to the problems threatening Nigeria's existence.
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of their four-day conference, which ended in Jos yesterday.
The communiqué was signed by Blessing Chamang Mada and Rev. Lawan Ibrahim.
It reads in part: "We the representatives of indigenous minorities in northern Nigeria have continuously been marginalised in northern Nigeria and as farmers, our people have been killed and farms destroyed by Fulani marauders, most of whom are non-Nigerians, who are now demanding our lands under the guise of grazing reserves.
"There is favouritism displayed in respect to compensation and government response in situations of violence and conflict. Whenever Non-Muslims are victims, they are ignored however, when Muslims are victims, they are promptly compensated and settled.
"The Nigerian security agencies are highly polarised such that attacks in certain communities are carried out by men in police or Army uniforms. There are situations where identity cards of serving security personnel were found at the scene of crime e.g. attack in Wereng in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State and Tafawa Balewa council in Bauchi State.
"This has put northern minorities in confusion as to the identity of genuine security men.
"There is a trend of abduction and forceful conversion of non-Muslims, especially the girls, all over northern Nigeria. The involvement of emirs and security personnel in this situation is worrisome.
"There is a deliberate denial of development in non-Muslim indigenous communities in northern Nigeria. Non-Muslims are marginalised with respect to admission into school, denial of roads, infrastructure, employment, hospitals, grant of certificates of occupancies, building plans for churches, appointments and promotion.
"We call for an indigenous national conference to produce a Constitution that truly reflects our diverse interests.
National Mirror