4th February, 2021
Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) said it has placed all its coordinators across the 19 Northern States on alert to mobilize street protest on Friday morning over the arrest and unknown whereabouts of its national leaders.
BOT Chairman of CNG, Nastura Ashir Shariff and the National Coordinator, Balarabe Rufai, were picked by suspected operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) after their planned press conference was prevented from taking place by security forces at the NAF Club, Kaduna.
Coalition spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a statement on Thursday evening, said the whereabouts of the group leaders were still unknown.
Suleiman also said they had contacted the Kaduna State Command of the security agencies, which insisted they didn’t carry out the arrests.
According to Sulieman: “We wish to inform the public that as at 6.30pm of Thursday, the BOT Chairman of CNG, Nastura Ashir Shariff and the national Coordinator, Balarabe Rufai’s whereabouts remain unknown.
“Our people who have been trailing the arrest vehicles reported that they lost the trail at Jere on the way to Abuja after driving around Kaduna town with a brief detour towards the State Government House through Gwamna Road unto the Abuja expressway.
“We have however made contact with the DSS director of Kaduna State and he insisted the arrest was not carried out by his men and he was not aware of where they are being held.
“Eye witness account to the arrest has however affirmed that the arrest was carried out by ununiformed officers in black suits driving hooded vehicles.
“We find it unfortunate that Nigerian Security agencies would rather find convenience to intimidate harmless civilians going about their civil functions than confronting the challenges posed by kidnappers who roam freely without any form of security presence.
“Meanwhile, we have placed all our 19 northern states Coordinators on high alert with instructions to mobilize for massive street protests by 10am tomorrow, Friday to demand the disclosure of the whereabouts of our officials.
“We strongly condemn this act of impunity displayed by an administration that has no regards for rule of law and no respect for human dignity and liberty. We remain determined to keep on the struggle for the emancipation of the northerner and the restoration of peace and security.”