The Coalition of Northern Groups, (CNG), has warned former military Colonel, Zamani Lekwot (rtd), over his recent attempt to smear former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, better known as IBB, in his role in the Zangon-Kataf crisis that occurred decades ago.
CNG spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, who issued the warning in a statement in Abuja, said Lekwot should keep his frustrations to himself and avoid making baseless accusations.
According to the CNG, Lekwot’s accusations are baseless, misguided frustrations borne of pent-up ethnic jealousy aimed at promoting a separatist agenda that would harm the unity and stability of Nigeria.
The CNG said that since Lekwot’s disgraceful retirement and subsequent indictment in the Zangon-Kataf crisis had been nursing sinister grudges against certain sections of Nigerian society. The group recalled that Zamani Lekwot emerged as a key figure in the Zangon-Kataf crisis of 1993 using his influence to mobilise the Atyap ethnic group against the Hausa-Fulani.
The CNG said since his indictment and unceremonious retirement from the military, Lekwot had been licking his self-inflicted wound among the league of authors of mindless violence and separatism.
Suleiman said: “As far as Nigeria and Nigerians are concerned, Lekwot is an inconsequential nonentity; and his ranting as that of an ant. Indeed, no one expects anything good, responsible or reasonable from people like him, whose hands are stained by the blood of the innocent.
“We, therefore, warn Lekwot and others in his league that it is no longer acceptable for any frustrated element to deploy hate campaigns, propaganda and senseless ethnic agitations aimed mainly at instigating conflict”.
