Former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Ango Abdullahi has said he committed no crime by supporting Northern youths ultimatum to Igbos living in the region.
Abdullahi had supported an ultimatum by a coalition of Northern youths asking Igbos to leave before October 1.
In an interview with Punch, Abdullahi said he simply exercised his right to freedom of speech.
He said, “Am I too important not to be arrested if I have committed an offence? If I have committed a crime; of course, why not? It is also an opinion; some people may wish me dead. Is that not so? There might be some people who want me arrested. I thought that all countries have legal systems that qualify offences and depending on the gravity of the offence, measures are taken against offenders and so on.
“If I have committed an offence, I expect that somebody would have drawn my attention to it, but I don’t think anybody has drawn my attention to an offence that I have committed. All I have done is to express my freedom of speech and this is guaranteed in the country as far as I know.”
When asked if he didn’t think his statement could polarize the country, Abdullahi said Nigeria has been polarised for a long time.
“Well, I’m not a fan of newspapers or radio but I will take it from you that it has sparked controversy. The country had already been polarised. It is already polarised. Well, maybe it added another dimension to the polarisation but the country had been polarised. As far as I am concerned, the country has been polarised for a long time,” he added.
He added that the northern youths were only helping Igbos actualised their dreams of leaving Nigeria.
Abdullahi added, “If you were not there, go and get a copy of the press release and pick what is important to you. The Igbo said they want to leave Nigeria. They have been saying this for a long time. They have wanted to leave Nigeria since 1967, when we had the civil war and they have not stopped asking to leave Nigeria. So this time, the youths must have seen that they needed help to leave Nigeria and it is a good thing if they can mobilise themselves back from every part of Nigeria, including the North of course, to go back home and really concentrate on building the Biafra state they have been dreaming about. And we will support them; I will support them in that direction.”
So as do everyone has the freedom to stay anywhere they want, as long they are citizens