The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday expressed concern over the attacks on drivers of trucks conveying goods from the North to the South-East by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The ACF warned that the killings of the drivers and the destruction of their vehicles constitute a serious threat to national security that could lead to the breakdown of law and order and generalised anarchy.
Daily Trust had reported that trucks’ drivers and owners on Sunday, protested in Jos, Plateau State capital, lamenting that many of their members had been killed and their vehicles burnt in the attacks.
The report stated that more than 20 truck drivers had been killed and many others missing in attacks on them in the South-East in the last one year.
In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the ACF said it had observed that drivers of heavy-duty haulage trucks/trailers conveying goods to and from, or merely traversing roads in the South-East had and were still being subjected to what it called vicious and unprovoked attacks, leading to the murder of drivers, burning of vehicles and looting of goods.
The ACF accused the security agencies and the federal government of doing nothing to tame the attacks.
“The attacks are being brazenly carried out by the euphemistic gunmen/gun-women who openly claim membership of terror groups such as the so-called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), with the attacks directed only on northerners and northern-owned property.
“The terror merchants have continued to double down on the savage attacks and even posting video clips of the results of their gruesome actions, with gleeful taunts, on social media. Often, the savagery extends to burning of the corpses of hapless victims. Only a few days ago indeed, members of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) demonstrated at Jos, the Plateau State Capital, to draw attention to the attacks and the over 50 drivers and about 100 trailers burnt over the last eight years,” it stated.
The ACF added: “Equally worrisome is the silence of national security agencies and the federal and state governments. ACF asserts that the attacks constitute a serious threat to national security with the potential to lead to the breakdown of law and order and generalised anarchy.
“Needless to assert, absolutely, no individual or groups should be allowed free rein to visit murder, looting, arson, vandalism and general brigandage on innocent citizens. ACF is gravely saddened by the development and fully supports the contemplation by NARTO and NURTW to boycott the haulage of goods to and from the South-East until the situation is brought under control.
“ACF further extends condolences to the families and friends of victims of the attacks, calls on the federal and relevant state authorities, as well as the security agencies to step-up to stop the unprovoked and extra-constitutional actions by the terror groups.
“At the very minimum, perpetrators of the dastardly acts must be fished out and brought to justice. The relevant authorities ought to declare a state of emergency on the matter”.
The group added: “The ACF further decries the silence or lip service by South-East elite, politically exposed persons and socio-cultural groups on the issue and calls on them to end the lip service and neglect but publicly condemn the barbarism being visited on northerners and northern-owned businesses in the region.”
It further called on the governments of Enugu and Imo states to pay full compensation for lives and injuries as well as the goods lost to the attacks.
