THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has expressed gratitude to Arewa groups for having the courtesy to give the Igbo an advance warning to vacate northern Nigeria.

The group, however, pleaded for ample time for Igbo to relocate back to the south.

Some Arewa youth groups had recently issued three months quit notice from the north to Igbo residing there.

Although the call was roundly criticised by northern governors and stakeholders, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Ango Abdullahi, on Friday, expressed support for the youth groups.

Reacting in a statement signed by Emma Powerful, IPOB assured the Arewa groups that its people will heed the warning and leave northern Nigeria.

IPOB called on all southerners in the north to start exiting the region as soon as possible.

“We the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s leadership worldwide wish to sincerely thank the Arewa Elders Forum(AEF), Arewa Youths and Arewa Consultative Forum for seeing sense in what IPOB has been saying about the need for a referendum to be conducted in Nigeria to decide the fate of the component ethnic nationalities criminally lumped together by the British in 1914,” the statement read.

“Biafrans in general also wish to thank these vocal Northerners for at least having the courtesy to issue advance warning this time before embarking on their routine massacre of Igbos and other Biafrans living in Northern Nigeria; unlike what their fathers did in 1966 when death, destruction and mayhem were unleashed upon unsuspecting innocent civilian populations from the South comprising of mostly Igbo men, women and children.

“Igbo massacres in Northern Nigeria has occurred so many times that it has almost become some sort of an annual sporting activity for blood thirsty Northern youths. That is why we are particularly grateful to Arewa Youths and Elders for having the decency to give us prior notice before the slaughter commences.

“We promise to adhere to your warning to leave Northern Nigeria because a word is enough for the wise. Biafrans and other Southerner should start packing their properties to come down to the South. We also advice the Northern youths and their Elders to keep it on because all they have done is exercise their right to free speech which is not a crime under any law known to man. We are therefore against those calling for the arrest of these Arewa Youths and their Elders.