The Zamfara State Government has expressed worry over the rampant cases of attacks on northern youths by operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) codenamed Amotekun in the southwestern states.
According to a press statement signed by the State’s commissioner of Information, Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, they are being exposed to unlawful tortures, and Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle has demanded that his colleagues in the region checkmate the excesses of the operatives for peace and unity of the country.
“The unlawful detention, molestation and torture of the young Nigerians who are mostly on business mission with their counterparts in the southwest region is uncalled for as it may result into crisis between the two regions,” the statement said.
“Nigerians should avoid any ethnoreligious conflicts to allow peace and tranquility to reign to foster economic and political development of this country.
“At this material time when almost all the geo-political regions are facing one crisis or another, people should learn to respect one another and think on how to develop Nigeria rather than unnecessary hatred.”
“The Governor who was baffled by the actions of the operatives who intercepted truck conveying northern youths, flogged them thoroughly In Ondo State as reported by the SaharaReporters on Sep 16, 2022, expressed concern over possible backlash from the northern part of the country.
“Some operatives of the Ondo State Security Network (popularly known as Amotekun) on Friday afternoon allegedly beat up some Northern youths who were passing through the state.
“SaharaReporters gathered that the youths who were passing through the state were intercepted around Gbeleaje Estate, Ilesha/Owo expressway.
“They were, however thoroughly searched by the operatives who found nothing incriminating on them.
“A witness told SaharaReporters that after the stop -and-search operation that the Amotekun officials descended on the youths and flogged them thoroughly.
“Their motorcycles were also seized by the operatives who later asked them to continue their journey.
“We initially thought they were bandits but they were not. The Amotekun people asked them to come down which they did, they searched all of them and found nothing on them.
“But to our surprise, they started beating them. They seized phones of those recording this act and deleted the pictures and videos. Someone asked why they were beating them when they didn’t see anything on them but they claimed the driver initially refused to stop, making them to waste their time,” the statement added.
Governor Matawalle said this was the fourth time the excesses of these operatives were meted to the northern youths without any incriminating materials found on them.
According to him, since the southern youths are coming to the north to carry out their business without harassment or intimidation from the region, there should be no reason to unleash such atrocities on the northern youths.
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