Arewa Youth Traders Association of Nigeria has decried incessant banditry in the region especially Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara and Sokoto states of recent which has reached alarming stage.
The group an umbrella body of more than 100,000 traders lamented that the insecurity has increased the poverty level of the region and unemployment.
It said the killings in agrarian area of Katsina and Zamfara states led to most of the farmers abandoning the area and presently becoming IDPs which is a threat to food security.
The insecurity has practically killed the business activities of the region as most customers that come from various states across the country and neighboring countries dread coming to any of the north states especially Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina to transact business for fear of been attacked.
The action which looked as orchestrated plan to keep deepening the poverty of the region considering recent happenings in the country.
The association also described as act to bringing down the economy of the region with the action of the Central Bank of Nigeria with instruction to commercial banks to freeze account of some of its members without any reason over 6 months ago.
It said some of its members bank accounts were freeze on the instructions of the CBN to commercial bank without furnishing them with any reasons but this affect only traders from the north.
The association said they have made several representation to the commercial banks and the CBN without any response.
The group noted that since last year with the border closure their goods at border posts have been damaged and these are items legally brought into the country with payment of import duties regularly.
Noting that they were not informed before the closure , hence there goods, refused entry into the country up till now.
All these are geared towards crippling our economy and made the region to be improvised, thereby increasing the social menace in the area.
The group appealed to the federal government and stakeholders to immediately attend to these and other problems, so as to bring the region out of this quagmire.
Alhaji Abubakar Kabir Babawo
President
Naziru Rabi’u Abubakar General Secretary.
