Following persistent agitations for the Biafra nation, some Nothern women under the aegis of Amalgamation of Northern Women Association in Nigeria (ANWAN) have staged a protest asking President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to immediately call for a referendum and allow Igbos to go.
The women in their hundreds held the protest at the Unity Fountain on Saturday in Abuja.
Speaking with newsmen during the rally, coordinator of the group, Hajia Hadiza Adamu, said enough should be enough of agitation for the Biafra nation.
Hajia Adamu said: “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 Lawal, 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 o, exercise their rights of self determination like the southeast has been agitated for decades to be allowed to leave Nigeria peacefully, without resorting to a second civil war.
“We are the amalgamation of Northern women from all parts of the North, north central, north west and north east. We as mothers 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 that 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.”
While lamenting hardship Northerners are going through in the South-east, Mrs Adamu said: “Today the Igbo nation has turned the entire south-east 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 been destroyed on daily basis, our husbands that goes to do business in southeast no longer return home safe, our political leaders who travels to the southeast on national assignments are assassinated in broad daylight.”
She alleged that “Commuters in the south-east 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,” she stressed.
