Palpable fear is brewing among Northerners living in Abavo town of Ika South local government of Delta State as Abavo community issued a four-day ultimatum for all northerners to leave the town.
The Abavo community had on Monday instructed all northerners to vacate the town by Thursday.
The situation has created widespread panic among the diverse Northern community in Abavo.
Hausa Community leader in the town, Usman Alhassan, told BBC Hausa their current situation. “They said we must leave their town. Some people don’t have money to transport themselves home. Some can’t even afford money for food, talk more of transport. They gave us four days, from Monday to Thursday”.
The northerners have reportedly lived there peacefully for decades doing their businesses and many have adopted the town living with their families including small children.
“We have at least 200 Hausa people in this town. Some of us sell foodstuffs, some are butchers, and others are labourers,” Alhassan explained.
The ultimatum, according to Alhassan, emanated from the Abavo Palace and the king’s son is privy of the matter.
He said that the directive is reportedly linked to accusations against the Hausa community of being involved in kidnappings and ransom demands.
He said “Having resided in the town for three decades, the Hausa community in Abavo comprises individuals from various Northern states, including Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, and Taraba.”
According to him, however, there was no single northerner or Hausa individual that had been arrested for any crime currently.
Malam Aliyu Yahya, the town’s Imam, appealed to the people to remain calm and follow the matter carefully to find a solution.
“We already know that any Nigerian has the right to live anywhere in Nigeria in peace and unity,” he said.
A member of the Abavo town council, who confirmed the incident to the BBC, stated that the decision was made in wake a surge in kidnappings for ransom in the area. However, he refrained from going into further details.
The spokesman for the Police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, said he has no knowledge of the ultimatum issued to northerners.
He emphasised that no individual has the legal authority to expel others from their place of residence in such a manner.
As the deadline approaches, the Hausa community in Abavo remains in a state of uncertainty, hoping for a peaceful and just resolution to their predicament.
