Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council has advised the Igbo not to abandon Northern Nigerian as they have in the past years spent over N44 trillion to develop the region.

The group, the youth wing of Ohaneze Ndigbo was reacting to an order by a coalition of Northern groups, including the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, on Tuesday to Igbos to leave the region by October 1.

The order was in reaction to agitation for independent state of  Biafra in the South-East region of the country.

But instead of leaving the region, Ohanaeze Youth Council advised Igbo living in the North to prepare to defend themselves against possible attack by Northerners after the expiration of the order.

“Igbo cannot leave the North after spending over N44trn to develop the region,” Ohanaeze Youth Council said while urging Igbo to ‘stay put.’

Addressing news men after a meeting in Enugu, the National President of the OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the ultimatum issued to Igbo by the Northern groups was a call to arms, and should be treated as such by security agencies.