Tobias Sylvester
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) said that four of its leaders were on Friday detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) over their planned #EndInsecurityNow protests.
It was gathered that the group had issued a statement notifying the public of their intention to protest in all the 19 Northern states and the National Assembly over the killings in the Northern part of the country.
In a statement on Saturday by the CNG’s spokesman, Abdulazeez Suleiman said four officials of the group were invited by the DSS while concluding an arrangement for a peaceful protest.
He, however, insisted that the group will go ahead with #EndInsecurityNow protest despite what he described as an attempt to suppress their rights.
“#EndInsecurityNow protests against the rampant killings in Northern Nigeria and displacement of hundreds of communities has come under intense pressure and intimidation in the last few hours by the DSS which is hell bent on suppressing the tearful voice of the Northerner.
“The development saw officials of the CNG Nastura Ashir Sharif, Balarabe Rufai, Aminu Adam and Dr Muhammad Nawaila being invited by the DSS in Kano where they were held from 11pm Friday to 2:15am Saturday.
“Throughout their stay at the DSS office, they were incommunicado not answering calls on their phones and not returning the same. We are on the alert.”
This coming amidst the ongoing #EndSARS protest across the country against the SARS tactical unit of the Nigerian Police Force over its brutality, illegal arrest, extortion, extra-judicial killings, among others.
