The NEF calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant security agencies to rise to the occasion and contain these criminals not to allow them to subvert and undermine national cohesion and togetherness.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Wednesday condemned the alleged harassment and attacks on northerners in the last three months in southern Nigeria, particularly in the South East.
This is contained in a statement signed by Salisu Mohammed, NEF Deputy Director General II, describing it as an act of provocation against innocent citizens who chose to be in that part of the country.
NEF described the development as a sabotage against efforts to strengthen the bond of Nigerians. It called on President Bola Tinubu and relevant security agencies to rise to the occasion and not allow the people responsible to subvert and undermine national cohesion and togetherness.
The statement reads in part: "The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has observed with concern that in the last three months, some criminals have stepped up harassments and attacks on northerners moving about their legitimate businesses in southern Nigeria particularly in the South East.
"The NEF has condemned these acts of provocation in totality against innocent citizens who chose to do their activities in that part of the country.
"The NEF calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant security agencies to rise to the occasion and contain these criminals not to allow them to subvert and undermine national cohesion and togetherness.
"The NEF made the call in reaction to a widely circulated video on social media where suspected militias of Eastern Security Network (ESN) killed hundreds of cattle that belong to northerners. The despicable and condemnable act was recorded and circulated across social media platforms.
"Lamenting the brazing act by elements bent on testing the elasticity of the country's diversity and unity, the NEF described such act as sabotage against efforts to strengthen the bond of Nigerians while exploring every part of the country to live in unity, peace and harmony in order to achieve the shared aspirations across the country.
"In the same vein, the attention of NEF has been drawn to a statement credited to the Forum by media - that the North regrets voting for President Bola Tinubu. NEF wishes to distance itself from the statement as it did not emanate from the Forum as it is the opinion of the person in his personal capacity and not that of NEF.
"Thus, the statement credited to NEF does not reflect the position of the Forum as it has never sat and assessed performance or non-performance of Tinubu administration."