The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has called on youths to suspend all protests forthwith.
The group said it was disturbed by trending reports of vandalization of private and public properties culminating with the raid of the Benin Central Prisons and release of inmates allegedly in the name of the #EndSARS protests.
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, CNG Spokesperson said
“while we appreciates the rights of people to express grievances by way of peaceful protests within available legal windows, we however find it disconcerting that protests should degenerate into lawlessness and brigandage.”
“Consequent upon this, the CNG categorically states that it will neither associate with, or identify with, nor recognize any movement by any persons, groups or from whichever section or class of the country that portends greater danger to the country or tends to tilt towards the onset of anarchy.
“In this light, we condemn with all our might, the actions of those who perpetrate criminal acts in the guise of protests anywhere in Nigeria, and strongly denounce those who instigate others to commit acts of violence and lawlessness under whatever pretext.
We thus emphatically repudiate the reported raid of the Benin Prison facility and deem any further act of brigandage on police stations, other public and public assets not only immoral and illegal, but also condemnable and abhorrent to the nation’s sensibilities and ordinary decency.
“The CNG hereby impresses on all its formations on the #EndInsecurityNow protests across the 19 northern states to remain law abiding as usual, and continue to shun any act that may further cause additional instability in the region and potentially affects the general peace of the country.
We urge them to remain decent, orderly and civilized as they peacefully press for action to end the bleeding in the North without molesting, or oppressing fellow citizens and provoking public disorder.
#EndInsecurityNow protests must therefore not be seen to cause public fear through traffic disruptions, rampage on private and public assets or involved with provocative utterances, altercations and other forms of indecent conduct.
With this development, the CNG hereby directs all its state chapters to immediately stay further action and suspend all protests forthwith effective Monday 20th October, 2020.
“While we watch developments, we shall articulate a comprehensive position stating out demands for presentation to the leadership of the Northern Governors Forum.”
