By Williams Anuku, Abuja
The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria, including the Northern Consensus Movement have placed a demand of N475billion as compensations to be paid for the losses suffered in the recent Shasha market violent clash in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
According to the cattle merchants, the compensation will also cover for losses suffered by their members during the recent #EndSARS protests.
They said the government has until February 24 to meet these demands or face outright withdrawal of their services in the entire country.
At a press conference which held at the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Sunday, in Abuja, Awwal Abdullahi Aliyu who spoke on behalf of Northern Consensus Movement, said a total of 151 people lost their lives at Shasha market, while another 100 members were killed during the ENDSARS protests around parts of the country.
He said various correspondence have been written to the Department of State Services, Police, the National Security Adviser, President, Governors, Emirs among others complaining of the ill treatment meted out on them while carrying out their legitimate duties of providing food for the entire country from the North.
According to them, there is distrust and disunity in Nigeria and the government needs to look into the situation before it degenerates.
“To add to voices of what is going on in the country, we have written the National Assembly of the problem we are having in Nigeria, specifically there is disunity, there is distrust among Nigerians and we feel it is time for the authorities to do something about it, otherwise it will create a situation where the country will go into chaos and that is what we are trying to avoid.
“Infact we have written to the United Nations, American Embassy, British Parliament, German authorities complaining of incessant killings that has been going on from the period of the hastag #EndSARS to this recent one that took place at Shasha. Infact earlier we have given 21 days ultimatum within which something should be done otherwise, we will have to take an action,”he threatened.