The pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation Afenifere yesterday cautioned the government against the Indigenes Status Bill “to avoid the possibility of aggravating ethnic tension and violence”.

The Bill seeks to grant indigenous status and rights on anyone who has lived in a particular area for 10 years or on a woman who is married to an indigene of the area.

The organisation’s position was contained in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi and made available to New Telegraph.

Recall that the House of Representatives recently passed for a second reading, some bills for the amendments of certain sections of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended).

One of the bills that was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and six other lawmakers, went through a second reading on March 26.

The Indigenes Status Bill, seeks to grant indigenous status and rights on anyone who has lived in a particular area for ten years or on a woman who is married to an indigene of the area.

The Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar on Wednesday sought the elimination of the policy that tends to draw a distinction between indigenes and non-indigenes in any part of the country.

However, in a statement, Afenifere rejected the bill. According to Afenifere, in modern times, there are four categories of residents in any particular state or country.

It said: “They are indigenes otherwise called na – tives, citizens, residents and visitors. “Ordinarily, anyone staying in a country is a resident of that country while other criteria would then determine whether he or she is a visitor, resident, citizen or indigene.