In a recent letter sent to the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo the northern youths pleaded with the acting President to let the Igbo's go freely as to actualize the ancient nation called Biafra.
The letter which was signed by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Shettima Yerima, Aminu Adam, Nastaru Ashir Sharif, Viashman Joshua and Abdul-Azeez Suleiman.
The letter reads:
"Though we do not doubt your Excellency's bonafide concerns for the peaceful resolution of the crisis we nevertheless have reservations as for the efficacy of this approach in ensuring lasting solution. Our doubt are informed by the following historical antecedent that have characterized the behavior and conduct of the Igbo's in Nigeria and previous efforts at containing them.
"The Igbo of eastern Nigeria manifested their hatred for the unity of Nigeria barely 5 years after we gained our inconfessed e from the British, when on January 15, 1966 their army officers carried out the first ever mutiny that marked the beginning of a series of crisis which has profoundly altered the course of Nigeria's history.
"By that ill motivated cowardly and deliberate action, the Igbo killed many northern officers from the rank of lieutenant colonel and also decapitated the prime minister and the political leadership of the north and western regions but left the zenith of the Igbo leadership at the federal level and living the eastern region intact.
"In line with the Igbo plan, General Aguyi Ironsi took advantage of the vacuum and, instead of returning power to the remnants of the first republic government he appropriated the coup and attempted to consolidate it to his people.
"Army officers from the northern region were eventually compelled to execute a counter coup on July 29, 1966 following a coordinated series of brazen provocation from the Igbo who taunting northerners on northern streets by mocking the way leaders of the regions were slain by the Igbo's, this unfortunately resulted in mob action which resulted to the death of many Igbo's.
"And when Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon from the north took over as head of state fellowing the counter coup, the Igbo through Lt. Col. Ojukwu, characteristically refused to recognise Gowon.
"Ojukwu declared the succession of the Igbo people from Nigeria with the formation of the republic of Biafra on may 30th, 1967 resulting in a civil war that led to the tragic death of more than 2 million Nigeria.
"Concerned by the fact that Biafrans to arming themeselves to a violent breakup, we feel that it is risky for the rest of the country particularly for the north to keep pretending that it is up for us to co habitate with the Igbo's given how deeply they are entrenched to our societies.
The northern youths went further to remind the acting president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo that the igbos had occupied many cities in the north as such should decide through a referendum
"And since evidently the Igbos have not been sufficiently humbled by their self imposed bloody civil violence of 1966, we are strongly concerned that nothing short of granting their biafran dream will suffice.
"And since the igbos have virtually infiltrated every nook and cranny in the northern Nigeria where they have been received with open arms as fellow compatriots, we believe that the region is no longer safe and secure in the light of the unfolding threats, and the fact that for a long time the igbos have gone extraordinary length to ensure that their domain in the south East, Northerners and Westerners are as possible disenfranchised from owning any business whereas in Kanu alone, they own not less than 100, 000 shops across all the business districts.
"That since the younger generations of Nigeria makes up of more than 60 per cent of the nations population, it is our hope that they inherit this country in good shape so that they can build a much better future for themselves and their offspring in an atmosphere that is devoid of anarchy, hate, suspicion and negativity that characterize the polarized, and clearly irreconcilable differences forced on us by the biafran Igbo's.
"As the Igbo's agitation persist and assume threatening dimension, we submit that there is need to ensure that they are given the opportunity to exercise the right to self-determination as entrenched in the aforementioned international statutes as Nigeria is a signatory.
"Aware that the right to self determination in international law is the legal right for a people that allows them to attain a certain degree of autonomy from a sovereign state through a legitimate political process, we strongly demand for a referendum to take place in a politically sane atmosphere were all parties will have a democratic voice over their future and the future of the nation.
"The Igbo's from all over the country and in the diaspora should be advised to converge in their region in the South East for a presbisite to be organised and conducted by the United Nations and other regional bodies for them to categorically to decide between remaining part of Nigeria or having their separate countries. That government should at the end of the presbite implement whatever is agreed and resolved in order to put this matter finally to rest.
"Lastly, we pray His Excellency to study the references forwarded with this letter dispassionately and decide who is more in the wrong between those who openly pledge allegiance to a country other than Nigeria backing it up with persistent threats of war, and those of us whose allegiance is with the Nigerian state but simply urge that the successionist be allowed to accualize their dream peacefully through universally entrenched democratic option".
They wrote to the acting president, prof. Yemi Osinbajo.