By Austin Ajayi, Yola
A preasure group under the agies of Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) made up of 42 youth groups in the north says it has alerted its members across the nineteen northern states of Nigeria and Abuja to be ready to confront any group of people organising a second wave of the EndSARS protests across the country.
National chairman of the forum, comrade Elliot Afiyo while briefing newsmen in Yola, said the forum acknowledged the grievances of the protesting youths but regret the fact that the first protest was hijacked midway by hoodlums which caused serious damage to the economy of the country, and therefore would not fold its arms and allow a second wave of the protests.
Accoding to him ” from the intelligence reports we received from our zonal and state coordinators and also from some of our members in the security circle, the second wave of these protests as planned by their sponsors, should not be allowed to take place in any of the northern states and Abuja,” Afiyo said.
He added that the forum is in possession of credible intelligence reports which shows that, the sponsors of the protests have strategised to bring down completely the already recessed Nigerian economy so as to give way for a military takeover and final disintegration of the country.
” We want to sound a serious warning to the organizers and all their sponsors to discontinue their plans and embrace dialogue or face whatever consequences as a result of the protests.
” All our zonal and state chapters are fully mobilized and prepared for violent confrontation with the protesters in any part of the North and Abuja,” the forum said.
They called on the Federal and Northern States Governments and all the security agencies to take proactive measures to avert “this impending crisis.”
The forum charged the aggrieved youths to use appropriate means to press home their demands.
” It is our belief and generally too, that our democratic system has provided enough room for setting or solving our problems. If this government is perceived to be a failed government, then we ought to change it through the ballot box in 2023.” The forum said.
The NYLF is an umbrella body of forty-two (42) northern youth groups formed on the 20th of January, 1990 by the northern political, religious, military and traditional elites to propagate, protect and secure the interest of the north within the national interest.
