In an interview with Punch on Sunday, the deputy national publicity secretary of the Ohanaeze, Chuks Ibegbu, said that is “the only way the government can convince Nigerians that there is justice, equity and fair play” in the country.

Ibegbu said the northern youths who gave the order should not only be arrested but “charged with treason”.

“The authorities know that these northern youths are calling for secession,” he said.

“The federal government should arrest them and also charge them with treason. That is what we expect the federal government to do.

“He [Kanu] was only talking about self-determination, which he has the right to aspire to under international laws.

“The question every Nigerian should ask the federal government is, how come you clamped Nnamdi Kanu in detention for calling for self-determination, but you have not arrested these northern youth who are promoting secession?

“About three days after making the threat, despite outrage expressed across the country, they are still holding meetings, issuing more threats. Are the security agencies not seeing the youths holding meetings?

“How come none of them have been arrested? What is giving them the confidence to continue to issue threats?

“The Federal Government has also condemned the action and said it will arrest the youths who issued the ultimatum. But we are surprised and disappointed that, so far, those youths have not been apprehended. Rather, they are still going about, issuing more threats,” he said.

He also said the Igbos won’t be pushed to issue a similar quit notice to the northerners in the south-east, adding that they are “too sophisticated to engage in such behaviour”.

“They [northerners] are welcome and nobody will molest them in the south-east,” he said.

“In fact, we are encouraging the northerners in the south-east to expand their businesses, build factories and prosper as much as possible.”

He however said that contrary to Kanu’s demand for a sovereign state of Biafra, Ohanaeze believes “the Igbo are landlords in Nigeria and cannot leave this country for anybody”.

“Ohanaeze believes more in a restructured Nigeria; a Nigeria that has a level playing field for all sections of the country; a Nigeria that gives each part of the country a sense of belonging.”