The Northern Youth Progressive Network (NYPN) Thursday urged the federal and various state governments to intervene so as to halt the carnage in many northern states and address some of the pressing demands of the protesters.
Convener of the group, Comrade Bala Mohammed, in a press statement issued in Abuja, observed with serious concern the violent dimension that the nationwide protest over economic hardship by Nigerian youths has taken, especially across the northern part of the country.
He said report reaching the group indicates that the protest has suddenly turned violent with large-scale destruction and vandalisation of public infrastructures across some northern cities of Kano, Kaduna and parts of FCT, while Adamawa, Sokoto, Katsina and Nasarawa have witnessed peaceful procession so far.
“We want to acknowledge that violent protest which often leads to break down of law and order cannot be the solution to the current predicaments confronting the nation. Rather, dialogue should be explored as the essential tool to draw government’s attention to our plights.
“If we burn down the nation because we are hungry, there may not be any nation for us to pursue legitimate means of feeding ourselves after the damage may have been done by anger.
“We call for restraint among our youth in order to allow government to address the issues already expressed through our actions to prevent the situation from degenerating into anarchy,” he said.
