Nigerian youths under the auspices of the League of Nigerian Youths Groups have called on the Federal Government and Security Chiefs to ‘robustly’ engage the youths in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other escalating criminality across the country.
The youths who converged in Abuja to mark this year’s International Youths’ Day, insisted that they can assist in intelligence gathering and tracking down the perpetrators of the killings in the country.
“We are ready to assist the security agencies in the area of intelligence gathering because sadly enough, bulk of these criminal elements are youths and we can employ our contacts and network to track them down. We appreciate the Security agencies for the sacrifice they have been making but it is about time the youths are assigned role in the security plan”.
The also deplored recent antics employed by politicians to set the youths against the government and constituted authorities by inviting them to protest and other forms of lawlessness.
The youths particularly knocked the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Ikenga Ugochinyere for inciting the youths to engage in acts capable of undermining public peace and order.
In a statement entitled ‘Enough is Enough’, and jointly signed by Godstime Chukwubuikem Samuel; National President, Emerging Leaders Forum of Nigeria (ELFON), Shuaibu Sani; National Speaker-elect, Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), Mubarak Aliyu National Speaker, Nigerian Students Parliament (NSP) Comrade Abdulmalik Usman; President, Northern Youth Peace Ambassadors and Comrade Sunday Adekambi; National President, National Association of Polytechnic students (NAPS), the youths noted that the activities of the CUPP Chieftain is “aimed at fanning the amber of discord and ignite violence and forceful change of government”.
According to the statement, “we have also watched with great concern the unrestricted unbridled incisive and provocative comments used by the Spokesman of CUPP; Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu (the self-acclaimed Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere) in recent times aimed to fan the amber of discord and ignite violence and forceful change of government.
“We have credible intelligence that Mr. Ugochinyere and his allies have recruited youths, perfected plans to hide under the International world Youth day to cause massive violence in and around Abuja under the guise of protest against government”.
It added that, “linking this to the earlier alarm raised by Coalition of Youths Led by Comrade Dallah Kabiru that the CUPP Spokesman has been funded with well over N500m by anti-democratic elements to create anarchy and violence in the country and set the stage for a coup.
“In the said plan they were to roll out students and also to hire gun men to gun down some of the protesters to create a scene that they were killed by state agents.
“Interestingly, not too long the Defense Headquarters also alerted the public of credible intelligence on plans of some group of persons to destabilize the country and incite the rank and file of our Armed Forces for a mutiny, possible coup and forceful change of government”.
The statement continued that, “we hereby warn that CUPP, its mouth running spokesman and other enemies of Nigeria’s unity and democracy to desist henceforth from fanning the amber of disunity and violence in the country.
“Desist from insulting the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which we consider provocative and an act likely to cause breach of Public peace.
“We are Giving the National Security Adviser, the director of State Security service, the inspector general of police and Defence Headquarters 7 days to apprehend CUPP Spokesman and all those sponsoring acts of treason in any guise, investigate and charge them for their inglorious role in inciting the citizens for a forceful change of government otherwise we Nigerian Youths will make the arrest ourselves and do it the Aluta way.
“Nobody is more Nigerian than the other. Where their right stops, the right of other Nigerian Youths commence.If President Buhari is not their President as Ugochinyere claims, President Buhari is President to millions of Nigerian Youths of goodwill.
“Any further personal attack on President Buhari will be visited with unprecedented reprisal legitimate aluta coated attack.
“The CUPP are free to constructively criticize the Federal Government but not personal attack on the President or right to lead forceful overthrow of government”.
Meanwhile, the youths also called for the total reopening of schools and complete relaxation of the lockdown.
“We have come to terms with the fact that nothing, data nothing can justify the continuous lockdown of schools in Nigeria by the Federal Government as Nigerians have evidently watched ongoing electioneering campaign processes in Edo and Ondo states where Mega rallies with mammoth crowd is seen without the Federal Government obstructing the processes.
“Does it mean that our leaders prefer and gives value to next election instead of the next generation”?
