OHANAEZE Ndigbo, apex socio-political organisation of the Igbo, has called on the federal government to treat northern youths who issued quit notice to Igbos in the North like it treated Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

It stated that the northern youths should be “charged with treason” for calling for secession.

Chuks Ibegbu, its deputy national publicity secretary, said that is “the only way the government can convince Nigerians that there is justice, equity and fair play” in the country.

He stated this in an interview with Punch Newspaper.

“The authorities know that these northern youths are calling for secession,” he said.



“The federal government should arrest them and also charge them with treason. That is what we expect the federal government to do.

“He [Kanu] was only talking about self-determination, which he has the right to aspire to under international laws.


“The question every Nigerian should ask the federal government is, how come you clamped Nnamdi Kanu in detention for calling for self-determination, but you have not arrested these northern youths who are promoting secession?

“About three days after making the threat, despite outrage expressed across the country, they are still holding meetings, issuing more threats. Are the security agencies not seeing the youths holding meetings?

“How come none of them have been arrested? What is giving them the confidence to continue to issue threats?” he asked.

He also said the Igbos won’t be pushed to issue a similar quit notice to the northerners in the south-east, adding that they are “too sophisticated to engage in such behaviour”.



“They [northerners] are welcome and nobody will molest them in the south-east,”he said.


“In fact, we are encouraging the northerners in the south-east to expand their businesses, build factories and prosper as much as possible.”

He however said that contrary to Kanu’s demand for a sovereign state of Biafra, Ohanaeze believes “the Igbo are landlords in Nigeria and cannot leave this country for anybody”.

“Ohanaeze believes more in a restructured Nigeria; a Nigeria that has a level playing field for all sections of the country; a Nigeria that gives each part of the country a sense of belonging.”

Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra has expressed gratitude to the North for issuing the ultimatum, pleading that they be granted time to relocate.