CNG orders suspension of #Endinsecurity protest, faults violence

THE Coalition of Northern Groups has directed its members in the 19 northern states to stay further action and suspend all protests forthwith with effect from Monday October 19 2020.

The organisation said it took the decision following the raid on the Benin Central Prisons and alleged release of inmates by #EndSARS protesters.

The CNG called on its members currently in protests across the 19 northern states to “desist from identifying with, and shun any act that may further cause additional instability in the region and potentially affect the general peace of the country.”

The spokesperson for CNG and Convener of #EndInsecurityNow,Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a statement titled, ‘Our position on Benin prison raid’, said they would articulate a comprehensive position and demand presentation to the leadership of the Northern Governors Forum, while they watch developments.

The CNG, which has been on indefinite protests in the 19 northern states, expressed concern over the incident at the Benin Central Prisons, saying any brigandage on the public and public assets “is not only immoral and illegal, but also condemnable and abhorrent to the nation’s sensibilities and ordinary decency.”

Suleiman said, “With this development, the CNG hereby directs all its state chapters to immediately stay further action and suspend all protests forthwith effective Monday, October 19, 2020.

“While we watch developments, we shall articulate a comprehensive position stating out demands for presentation to the leadership of the Northern Governors Forum.

“The Coalition of Northern Groups is disturbed by trending reports of the raid on the Benin Central Prisons and release of inmates allegedly in the name of the #EndSARS protests.

“While we at the CNG appreciate 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, nor identify with, nor recognise 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.

He added, “We thus emphatically repudiate the reported raid on the Benin prison facility and deem any further act of brigandage on the 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 #EndInsecurityNowprotests across the 19 northern states to desist from identifying with, and shun any act that may further cause additional instability in the region and potentially affect the general peace of the country.”

#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.

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