TheCable

Audu Ogbeh, former minister of agriculture, has asked the federal government to stop the killings across the country, saying life has never been “this tough”.

Speaking at the first meeting of the newly elected national working committee (NWC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna On Wednesday, the ex-minister said the last time the country recorded mass killing was during the civil war.

The Nigerian civil war, which broke out in 1967, led to the deaths of over two million people. It was fought after eastern Nigeria declared the “Republic of Biafra.”

In recent times, bandits, as well as armed groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP have intensified killings in the northern region, leading to loss of lives and property.

Ogbeh called for renewed efforts in addressing insecurity.

“We have over 300 tribes in the north, and we cannot afford to be an ethnic organisation,” he said.

“Our responsibility now is greater than before. We have not faced this challenge before – killings day and night. At no time has life been so tough except during the civil war. If we do not save the north now, we will lose the north.”