The national president of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, has denied a report which linked him to the threat of war against people of the southeast in the north.
He urged Nigerians to disregard the shadowy group of trouble-makers who assumed they could use either his name or his group to destabilise the nation.
Shettimma also reiterated that the threat of war was not and can never be his style as a progressive and modern Democrat, adding that he believes in the spirit of consultation as a strategy for achieving their noble objective as a people.
The statement read: “My attention has been drawn to a fake “Breaking News” in which some unknown mischief-makers struggled to connect me to the threat against the people of the southeast over a purported threat to northern youths in the zone.
“The so-called news was the handiwork of some unknown rabble-rousers, designed to dent the public image of struggle I have built for decades. I bet this shadowy group that their evil agenda is dead on arrival as Nigerians are now too sophisticated to believe that kind of trash being willy-nilly tied to my name and my group.
“However, I would like to make it categorically clear that, much as the purported threat of war was not my style, this does not mean I no longer care about my northern brothers. I still have the Northern youth at heart and will strive to promote and protect their interest peacefully and in line with legal and constitutional provisions.
“I urged Nigerians of good conscience to continue to disregard this shadowy group of trouble-makers who assumed they could either my name or that of my group to destabilize the nation. I wish to reiterate that the threat of war is not and can never be my style as a progressive and modern Democrat. I believe wholeheartedly in the spirit of consultation as a strategy for achieving our noble objective as a people.”
He expressed gratitude to those who reached out to him to express concern over this devilish plot and to give him extra courage to always legitimately stand on the side of the north and of truth.
“I cannot thank you enough for the massive solidarity,” he added.
It was reported that the group said it was aware that its community in Lagos was totally left out in the distribution of the palliatives.
