Northern women have staged a protest in Abuja against a second civil war, asking President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to put machinery in motion for a referendum on the Biafra question, with a view to allowing the Southeast to secede peacefully from Nigeria.
The protesters under the aegis of Amalgamation of Northern Women Associations in Nigeria converged on the Unity Fountain in their hundreds saying they can no longer bear to see their husbands being attacked by secessionist agitators.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions like “Enough is enough”, “stop killing northern businessmen”, “We won’t want another civil war”, the women led by Hajia Hadiza Adamu said as mothers, they are always at the receiving end of any war, insurrection, killings, and acts of terror.
“When our men were killed, we were raped and our children rendered orphans, we have nowhere to run to.
“Nigerian history has shown that women carry the heavy burden of war and acts of insurrections and terrorism.
“We have gone through it from 1967 to 1971. Our men died and left us with the children to cater for out of nothing, other men who survived simply moved on, but we never moved on.
“The aftermath of the war and the sufferings left lifetime scars in our hearts and on our bodies. It is for this reason that we come together today and say we don’ t want another war, another insurrection”, they stated.
Referendum on #BiafraExit
Calling for a referendum to allow secessionist agitators to exit Nigeria peacefully, the women said the Southeast has now become a warzone where other tribes are not safe.
“We therefore, unanimously call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader and father of the country and the leadership of the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt, Hon, Femi Gbajabiamila to immediately call for a referendum in the country.
“Let people choose to live in peace in Nigeria or leave; any other group or nationality that wants to secede to exercise their rights to self determination like the southeast has been agitating for decades, to be allowed to leave Nigeria peacefully, without resorting to a second civil war.
“Today, the Igbo nation has turned the entire southeast to almost a war zone. Northerners, irrespective of their tribes are no longer safe, States’ infrastructures are no longer safe, service personnels from police to army are not safe, INEC offices and other symbols of democracy in the country are being destroyed on a daily basis, our husbands who go to do businesses in the southeast no longer return home safe, our political leaders who travel to the southeast on national assignments are assassinated in broad daylight.
“Commuters in the southeast are often forced out of vehicles to be profiled and if they are Northerners, they are usually executed there and then.
“It is in the light of the above that we are saying enough is enough and let Mr. President allow for a referendum that will make Igbos realize their long term dream of being a Biafra nation. No more killing of Northerners, no more killing of police officers, no more profiling of Northerners and attacking their businesses.
“Let Igbo have their independent nation away from the rest of Nigeria”, the Northern women declared.
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