Against the recent threat by Niger Delta militants that Northerners and South Westerners should quit the region and return to their various regions, youth leaders of the Hausa and Yoruba communities in Warri have questioned the rights of the Ijaws to issue such threat to them saying that they have equal rights with the Ijaws as bonafide citizens of Nigeria and called on the leadership of the Ijaw nation to caution their youths in their quest for cessation from the Nigerian nation-state.

Speaking to a select group of journalists in Warri yesterday, Mallam Rabiu Abdulraman  ,the Hausa youth leader and business man resident at the Hausa Quarter at Igbudu, said while they concede the right of the Ijaw militants to agitate for whatever they claim to be their right, they should also remember that other law abiding Nigerian citizens who believe in the unity of the country have their rights to be protected and leave in any part of the country of their choice and warned that violence can be disseminated by any group or ethnic nationality if they so wish.

“Look, these militants have taken this nonsense too far by asking us to return to our region. Some of us have stayed here since birth. Nobody should be threatening us to leave. What about our businesses here. Are there no Niger Delta indigenes in other parts of the country and should they also be driven home too. Where are you even requesting them to go and stay immediately or you want them to become refugees for no just cause.

“We have not disturbed them in any way since this resurgence of militancy. Boko Haram is doing their own in the North East and you just started yours here. Why did you wait until President Buhari time to do this if not that you want to cripple his government for selfish reasons. We are not afraid of anything but chasing us away will have its multiplier effect on the socio-politico and economic well being of all Nigerians and everybody will be losers without discrimination, so what are they trying to tell us. We are not fools and nobody should think only they know the arms market. Even then, when did all the other tribes in the Niger Delta agree with them in this obnoxious decision to drive us out of the region,” he queried.

Mr. Abiodun Oguntomisin, a Yoruba youth cattle seller at Effurun on his part stated that no group can chase away the Yoruba people from any part of Nigeria saying that the Yoruba also have militant group in Nigeria known to all and warned the Niger Delta militants to rethink their decision for the benefit of themselves and their generation yet unborn for the current degradation and pollution of the region through the bombing of oil and gas facilities.

“Nobody will benefit from this unbridled brigandage of the Niger Delta militants. Their leaders and our so-called human rights groups should call them to order now instead of keeping quiet in the face of the wreckage they are causing the nation because of imagined or perceived marginalization by successive governments. This thing did not start with President Buhari. President Jonathan just left government yesterday. Where are all the monies he pumped into the region?

“These boys should ask their leaders where all the funds allocated to the development of the region through different ministries and parastatals manned by Niger Deltans went into if not the hands of their own leaders and elites. When government comes heavily on them let no one cry foul. If they cripple the economy will they drink the oil or through which means will siphon the remaining oil to other country? They are only agitating to become the overlord of the Niger Delta and ride roughshod over the minority people, that’s all,” he opined.

Both youth leaders said they are watching and monitoring events as they unfold even as they have put their indigenes on alert in the event of any harm coming their way. They said the threat of the Ijaw militants should be viewed with seriousness as non of their leaders have openly come out to denounce same but also admonished the war mongers to toe the path of dialogue with the Federal Government  instead of grandstanding.

The militant groups have given the Federal Government notice of declaring their republic on August 1, 2016 if their numerous demands are not met.