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Two of Nigeria’s leading socio-cultural organisations, Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have strongly refuted recent allegations by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) suggesting that northerners are being systematically maltreated in the southern part of the country.
The ACF, through its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, had on Wednesday alleged rising hostility, violent attacks, and discriminatory practices against northerners living particularly in the South-East. Dalhatu expressed concern over what he described as an alarming trend of alienation, warning that it could further threaten Nigeria’s fragile unity.
“In many parts of the South, especially the South-East, a northerner cannot expect to acquire one square foot of land, let alone own meaningful property,” Dalhatu stated during the ACF meeting in Kaduna. He also accused successive southern governments of turning a blind eye to these attacks, while criticising federal policies which, according to him, have fuelled disillusionment among northerners.
In swift reaction, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo dismissed the ACF’s claims as both “divisive and misleading.” Speaking to The Punch, the group’s Deputy Publicity Secretary, Mazi Godwin Okenwa, maintained that the narrative of hostility was entirely unfounded and unsubstantiated.
“The alleged hostility or violent attacks on northerners living in the South East is totally false,” Okenwa stated. “In fact, it is the South Easterners who have borne the brunt of hostility and violence, especially in the North.”
Okenwa added that northern residents in the South-East enjoy peaceful coexistence with their host communities and are actively engaged in commerce, property ownership, and daily life without hindrance.
“From Anambra to Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi, northerners are landlords, business owners, and respected members of the community. They live freely and are welcomed in Igbo land,” he emphasised.
Similarly, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, countered the ACF’s narrative, describing it as “politically motivated and factually inaccurate.” The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, accused the ACF of using generalisations to push an agenda not grounded in reality.
“No northerner is being targeted in the South simply for being a northerner. That claim is a gross misrepresentation of facts,” Ajayi said in a statement from Ibadan. He further argued that, contrary to ACF’s assertions, many federal policies have historically benefited the North more than other regions.
Ajayi went on to challenge the ACF to first acknowledge and address the persistent violence and displacement occurring in parts of the North, particularly in Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna, where ethnic and communal conflicts have forced thousands from their homes.
“The same ACF that is quick to raise alarm about perceived injustices should also focus on restoring peace and protecting minority communities in the North,” Ajayi insisted.
On the broader issue of national unity, both Afenifere and Ohanaeze reiterated their support for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation. They believe such reforms will enable each region to take greater control of its resources, security, and development priorities, thereby reducing friction among ethnic and regional groups.
“The path to lasting peace and equity lies in restructuring, not blame games,” Ajayi concluded.