Prominent Hausa-Fulani politicians sponsoring Boko Haram activities – Groups
Some human interest groups have accused prominent Hausa-Fulani politicians of encouraging and sponsoring the activities of the Boko Haram militants.
The groups, at a joint press conference held in Lagos to mark the United Nations Day of indigenous communities over the weekend called on Nigerians to reject any politician linked with the outlawed militants during the 2015 general elections.
The groups which include the Green Peoples Environmental Network, Southern Nigerian Ethnic Nationality Alliance, O’odua Nationalist Coalition, the Coalition of Nigerian Civil Right Groups and the United Middle Belt Youth Congress, noted that crisis in the Maghreb region and Boko Haram activities had led to the death of many innocent civilians.
In a joint press statement signed by Olu Sulaiman, Michael Popoola, Ovie Godfrey and Hycinth Chiluba, the
group vowed to begin intensive campaign against extremists who might want to contest in 2015.
The groups noted that a statement recently credited to spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, that the Hausa-Fulani will “never return power to the South” once the region obtained it, showed arrogance and must be resisted by Nigerians.
“We condemn in strong terms the current realignment of political forces, which has not taken into consideration the interests of indigenous peoples but has been tailored only to promote the wishes and aspirations of the northern caliphate against the genuine interest of the indigenous communities.
“It said Hausa-Fulani political groups are interested in nothing but a system that will sustain and oil their own parochial and self-serving interests”
They further affirmed that “little wonder that the violent Boko Haram has become a political scare crow for a section of the Hausa-Fulani political class. The responses of the northern caliphate to the series of bombings have been that of cold complicity,” the statement added.
