Some youths from the 19 northern states and Abuja, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Organisation, on Saturday backed Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed’s comments over the use of AK-47 by herders.

The organisation said there was nothing wrong with the governor’s comment, adding that the Federal Government had over the years failed to protect Fulani herdsmen across the country.

The National Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Aminu Saleh, who read the text of the briefing on behalf of the group at the Arewa Hall, Kaduna on Saturday, also warned against continued attacks on northerners in the southern part of the country.

Saleh insisted that every Nigerian had the right of residence in any part of the country, noting that it explained why “there are many southerners up North doing their businesses here without any harassment or threats of evacuation.”

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He said the group was in full support of the comment credited to the Bauchi State governor over self-protection for herders, cautioning Nigerians against unguarded utterances capable of creating anarchy in the country.

According to him, the northern organisation condemned in strong terms, the attack on Fulani communities in Sasa, Oyo State, while calling on the state government to compensate all Fulani that lost lives and property during the attack.

While saying that the group was not in support of criminal herdsmen, he warned against criminalising the entire Fulani race.

He also called on southern governors to do everything within their powers to guarantee the safety of northerners resident in their domains.

Saleh said, “The Coalition of Northern Organisation states categorically here that Governor Bala Mohammed’s comments need not attract any negative reactions, considering the fact that it is an open secret today that the Fulani herdsmen have been exposed to vagaries of cattle rustling, banditry, and kidnappings, among many others in Nigeria of today.