Vacate middle belt region before October 1 - Group tells herdsmen

- A coalition of middle belt youths distance themselves from the quit notice issued by northern youths to Igbos residing in the north - The coalition calls on governors from the region to sit up to their responsibility of governing and desist from harassing media practitioners - The group tells the core north to stop using the middle belt people to achieve their political and economic aims A coalition of middle belt youths under the umbrella of Middle Belt Renaissance Forum has ordered all herdsmen to vacate their region before October 1, 2017 or face total war.  The youths also distanced themselves from the quit notice issued by northern youths mandating Igbos to vacate the northern region by October 1, Leadership reports.  The coalition made their position known following the outcome of a meeting in Abuja which held over the weekend. The meeting which was attended by representatives of youth groups from all the states making up the middle belt region discussed extensively topical issues confronting the area. The forum in a communique issued by its convener, Comrade Jones Simon Alfa, called on governors from the region to sit up to their responsibility of governing and desist from harassing media practitioners. The communique in part read: “The Middle Belt Governors should sit up to their responsibility of governing the people who voted them to power instead of the sudden primitive accumulation of wealth at the detriment of the suffering voters. “The Middle Belt Youths will no longer take the recklessness of the Governors in arresting Media Practitioners, Bloggers and Social Media Crusaders e.g Kaduna Governor and that of Kogi who are clear examples.” “The Middle Belt is not in any way part of the Northern agitation for the Igbo’s to vacate by 1st October. We have been living with the Igbo’s peacefully in our localities and will not join in the call for secession. “All herdsmen should vacate the Middle Belt Region before 1st October, 2017 or there will be total war if they are not ready to live in peace." The group called on the core north to stop using the middle belt people in achieving what it said was selfish political, economic aims and objectives. The youths stated that the middle belt people are not northerners. Meanwhile, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has drawn the attention of security agencies to a song which allegedly wishes people of Igbo ethnic group dead. Atiku in a statement issued by his media office, which he personally signed and titled: Nigeria Does Not Need a Rwandan Déjà vu, warned that the song currently circulating the song in some parts of Nigeria could result in a major crisis as it happened in Rwanda, Premium Times reports. The former vice president called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those behind the song which he said incites hatred against people of Igbo descent. The politician warned those igniting hatred against their fellow citizens to remember that they would face the consequences of their action.