Northern women have staged a protest in Abuja against a second civil war, asking President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to put machinery in motion for a referendum on the Biafra question, with a view to allowing the Southeast to secede peacefully from Nigeria.
The protesters under the aegis of Amalgamation of Northern Women Associations in Nigeria converged on the Unity Fountain in their hundreds saying they can no longer bear to see their husbands being attacked by secessionist agitators.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions like “Enough is enough”, “We won’t want another civil war”, the women led by Hajia Hadiza Adamu said as mothers, they are always at the receiving end of any war, insurrection, killings, and acts of terror.
“When our men were killed, we were raped and our children rendered orphans, we have nowhere to run to.
“Nigerian history has shown that women carry the heavy burden of war and acts of insurrections and terrorism.
“We have gone through it from 1967 to 1971. Our men died and left us with the children to cater for out of nothing, other men who survived simply moved on, but we never moved on.
“The aftermath of the war and the sufferings left lifetime scars in our hearts and on our bodies. It is for this reason that we come together today and say we don’ t want another war, another insurrection”, they stated.
Calling for a referendum to allow secessionist agitators to exit Nigeria peacefully, the women said the Southeast has now become a warzone where other tribes are not safe.
“We therefore, unanimously call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader and father of the country and the leadership of the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt, Hon, Femi Gbajabiamila to immediately call for a referendum in the country”.
“Let people choose to live in peace in Nigeria or leave; any other group or nationality that wants to secede to exercise their rights to self determination like the southeast has been agitating for decades, to be allowed to leave Nigeria peacefully, without resorting to a second civil war.
