Increasing population of northern youths in Delta worries indigenes  

Several citizens resident in Delta State have been expressing perturbations over the increasing population of youths from northern Nigeria in Asaba, the state capital and its environs.

Being known for concentrating their population in specific location of their residence, the migrating northern youths, including some elders were noticed to be dominating the Koka Junction in Asaba, Delta State, which indigenes now identified as becoming a mini ugwu-awusa zone (habitat of migrant northerners).

The growing population of the Hausa/Fulani from the north in the zone have been causing the indigenes sleepless nights over rising risk of security threat to the people. Their fears or perturbation is not unconnected with the worrisome violent crimes, including the deadly Boko Haram terrorists and bandits in the north, which the people fear may be exported to their state.

The scenario precipitated disquiets from the indigenes who expressed their concerns in different forms. A notable perturbation was the suspicion of Islamisation of Nigeria by the northern Hausa/Fulani oligarchy, which many are apprehensive cannot be achieved without violence and conquering.

However, many of the migrant youths engage in menial trades, Okada and Keke transport businesses, beside others. Some solicit daily labourer jobs at construction sites.

An indigene expressed: “I fear it’s all part of the Islamization and Fulanisation agenda. Their Fulani (herdsmen) brothers have taken over our bushes and farm lands, kidnapping, killing, maiming and raping at will and unchallenged.
“Other parts of the country are setting up security outfits to check this onslaught but our government is still in “sidon look” mode.
“We go hear am…”

Another stakeholders simply expressed that southeast and south-south people are at risk, adding: “soon our culture will be lost.”

Another stakeholder was of the view that “A stitch in time saves nine…” saying: “Now that someone has created the awareness, the authorities concerned should take appropriate action…”

An indigene also stated: “the evil we fail to destroy today, might destroy us in future, God forbid.”

ALSO READ: Northern Elders Forum brings up north-south politics of okada ban in Lagos

Another indigene noted that the fact is right, saying that “if someone goes there in the morning, the person would notice a whole lot of them with shovels and diggers, with paint buckets, looking for the next available site to work, but what comes to my mind is the empowerment this government gave or their leaders gave them is to put them in trailers heading south with shovels and diggers as a form of empowerment. The northern political leaders have finished their people. It is a sad tale.

“I have been observing it for a while now and this awareness just put me back into my memory lane about the entire issue.”

A stakeholder lamented Asaba elders gave the northern migrants into the state an area called Cable in Asaba many years ago, but today Asaba people do not have mouth at Cable. The area is now dominated by the Hausa/Fulani.

Advertisement

An indigene also decried that “their heavy presence there constitutes a security threat to Asaba.”

Another indigene advocated: “They should be checkmated now before it is too late.”

Some other indigenes berated the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who they said, has seen since noticed the presence of the northern migrants settling in the state amidst fears of security threats but kept quiet.

Meanwhile, there are no indications that the settlers from northern Nigeria are taking up arms in war with their host communities in the state.