Matawalle Warns Amotekun, Against Arrest Of Northern Youths In South-West

The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has warned the Amotekun Corps over the incessant arrest and torture of Nothern youths who are o business missions in the South-west states.

CityNews reports that Matawalle said the call followed recurring cases of arresting Northern youths who are on business missions to the Yoruba land by Amotekun Corps and subsequent subjecting them to torture and inhuman treatment.

According to a press statement signed by the Zamfara Staten Commissioner of Information, Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle has demanded that his colleagues in the region checkmate the excesses of the operatives for peace and unity of the country.

Matawalle said, “The unlawful detention, molestation and torture of the young Nigerians who are mostly on business mission with their counterparts in the southwest region is uncalled for as it may result into crisis between the two regions.

“Nigerians should avoid any ethnoreligious conflicts to allow peace and tranquility to reign to foster economic and political development of this country.

“At this material time when almost all the geo-political regions are facing one crisis or another, people should learn to respect one another and think on how to develop Nigeria rather than unnecessary hatred.”

The statement continued, “The Governor who was baffled by the actions of the operatives who intercepted truck conveying northern youths, flogged them thoroughly In Ondo State as reported by the SaharaReporters on Sep 16, 2022, expressed concern over possible backlash from the northern part of the country.

“Some operatives of the Ondo State Security Network (popularly known as Amotekun) on Friday afternoon allegedly beat up some Northern youths who were passing through the state.

“SaharaReporters gathered that the youths who were passing through the state were intercepted around Gbeleaje Estate, Ilesha/Owo expressway.

“They were, however thoroughly searched by the operatives who found nothing incriminating on them.

“A witness told SaharaReporters that after the stop-and-search operation that the Amotekun officials descended on the youths and flogged them thoroughly.

“Their motorcycles were also seized by the operatives who later asked them to continue their journey.

“We initially thought they were bandits but they were not. The Amotekun people asked them to come down which they did, they searched all of them and found nothing on them.

“But to our surprise, they started beating them. They seized phones of those recording this act and deleted the pictures and videos. Someone asked why they were beating them when they didn’t see anything on them but they claimed the driver initially refused to stop, making them to waste their time.”