Organisers of the #EndInsecurityNow protests in the North, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), have called off its protests.
This is in reaction to the way and manner the #EndSARS protest is turning out across the country.
The coalition said it was disturbed by trending reports of the raid of the Benin Central Prisons and release of inmates allegedly in the name of the #EndSARS protests.
CNG, however, directed its state chapters to immediately stay further action and suspend all protests forthwith effective on Monday
In statement issued by its spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, CNG said while it watches developments, it shall articulate a comprehensive position stating out its demands for presentation to the leadership of the Northern Governors Forum.
Suleiman said: “While we at the CNG 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 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.
“We thus emphatically repudiate the reported raid of 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.
“With this development, the CNG hereby directs all its state chapters to immediately stay further action and suspend all protests forthwith effective Monday, October 20, 2020.”
