By implication, the northern groups have imposed an embargo on trade with the southeast region. The groups ordered commodity traders and truck drivers to avoid the region over the alleged killing of their people by members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
Some northern organisations engaged in economic transactions between the North and South-East regions have commenced a strike action.
By implication, the northern groups have imposed an embargo on trade with the southeast region. The groups ordered commodity traders and truck drivers to avoid the region over the alleged killing of their people by members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
This was disclosed by the Coordinator of the Northern Consensus Forum, Dr Auwal Abdullahi Aliyu, to Daily Trust.
He said the traders embarked on a three-day warning strike because at least 100 northerners had been killed in the southeast region in recent times.
He claimed that the strike action was required to prevent young people in the north from taking the law into their own hands.
Aliyu claimed that the strike, which started on Thursday (yesterday), had started to have a good effect and that security agencies, northern state governors, and residents in the impacted zone have all been informed.
“We have blocked the roads linking the North to the East ranging from Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara and Plateau states among others, and the truck drivers are cooperating with us,” he said.
SaharaReporters had reported how gunmen enforcing a purported five-day sit-at-home order in Enugu State attacked and burnt a police patrol vehicle in the New Market area last Saturday.
It was also reported that some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were also killed by gunmen for defying a kangaroo sit-at-home order in Anambra recently.
Meanwhile, President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima while reacting to the strike action, told SaharaReporters that the traders took appropriate action.
In a telephone conversation on Friday morning, Shettima said the government has been insensitive to the gruesome killing of northern traders in the southeastern region.
He said, “The truth of the matter is that they are at liberty to embark on strike and suspend all the movements of foodstuffs to the south because this cannot continue.
“If the government cannot protect them, they should find a way to protect themselves. So, I can concur with them to stay off action for now and let us see what happens because it is never done anywhere.
“We are a country where the government's primary responsibility is to protect lives and property. This happens on a daily basis where they have been killing their men and nobody talks. The government does not respond to them.”
Malam Badamasi Muhammad, the Public Relations Officer of the Arewa Progressives Forum for 17 states in Southern Nigeria, also said many northerners have relocated to the North from the South East due to the incessant attacks. Only a small number of people still reside in big cities, and they live in fear, he claimed.
“We used to have many of our people in the villages of South East before; mainly petty traders, those selling beef skewers, cobblers, etc. All have now left due to the activities of the Biafra agitators. It is getting worse these days,” he said.
He expressed support for the decision to prevent goods from the North from reaching the South-East, saying it will save the lives of those involved.
“We are very happy with this measure. It’s an action that will send messages to the governors and traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the zone. Our members are being murdered daily.
“Happily, the federal government has been taking action by deploying huge security formations within the cities, these killers need to be arrested and brought to book. If a young man will make a tweet and will be traced by security men and arrested, what stops the same security agencies from tracing these killers?” he asked.