By HUSSAINA YAKUBU

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the alleged arrest, profiling and threatened deportation of Northern women by Ondo Amotekun operatives, describing the action as unconstitutional and discriminatory.

The forum expressed its position in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Bashir Dalhatu.

According to ACF, a widely circulated video showed Amotekun operatives arresting, profiling and publicly parading a group of women believed to be of Hausa, Fulani extraction who were residing and carrying out lawful activities in Ondo.

The forum said the development represented a dangerous assault on the rights and dignity of Nigerian citizens.

“Nigera is a sovereign republic founded on the principles of equality, citizenship and the rule of law.

“The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to move freely throughout the country and reside in any part thereof without discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, language or place of birth,” the statement said.

ACF maintained that no government agency at any level had the legal authority to treat Nigerians as strangers in their own country because of their ethnic background.

It described as alarming reports that officials of the state security outfit allegedly attempted to intimidate and threaten to deport fellow Nigerians to their states or regions of origin.

The forum stressed that no provision of Nigerian law empowered any state government, security outfit or local authority to deport citizens from one part of the federation to another.

“Every Nigerian has an equal stake in every part of Nigeria and enjoys constitutionally protected rights wherever he or she chooses to live and work,” it stated.

ACF also expressed concern that the victims in the incident appeared to be women engaged in legitimate economic and social activities.

It said the public humiliation of law abiding citizens based on ethnic profiling and guilt by association was unacceptable in a democratic society.

While acknowledging the security challenges facing many states, the forum urged authorities to address criminality through lawful investigation, credible intelligence gathering and evidence based law enforcement.

It warned against criminalising entire communities because of the actions of a few individuals, describing such an approach as unjust and capable of fuelling ethnic tensions.

The forum further cautioned that actions perceived as targeting citizens on the basis of ethnicity could have serious implications for national unity and security.

According to ACF, thousands of people from Ondo State and the wider South West region live and conduct business peacefully across Northern Nigeria, making it imperative to preserve the long standing tradition of peaceful coexistence.

The forum called on the Ondo Government to investigate the incident, clarify the circumstances surrounding it and take disciplinary action against any officials found to have acted outside the law.

It also urged the Federal Government, security agencies and the National Human Rights Commission to examine the matter and ensure that the rights of those affected were protected.

ACF said the incident raised concerns about ongoing discussions on the establishment of state police, stressing the need for strong constitutional, legal and institutional safeguards against abuse and discrimination.

“Any future state policing architecture must be designed to protect citizens’ rights rather than undermine them,” the forum stated.

It reiterated that Nigeria belonged equally to all its citizens and that no Nigerian should be treated as an alien in any part of the country. (NAN)