Twenty four hours after detention of the leaders of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) by the Department of State Security, the group has announced suspension of its protests in Kano.
The coaltion had earlier planned protests across the Northern states to compel the federal government to take drastic measures that would bring to an end to the insecurity bedevilling the region.
One of the leaders of the coalition told the Sahelian Times that, “the State Security Service has urged us to suspend all protests in Kano, and limit our activities to other Northern states due to the Kano’s volatility and sensitivity.”
He added that, “The DSS has asked us to submit our concerns in writing, with the promise that they will forward it to the presidency.”
Nigeria is currently facing widespread protests against police brutality across the country.
The #EndSARS movement, which was largely restricted to southern Nigeria, has attracted widespread local and international support, inspiring their counterparts in the North to protest over the alarming level of insecurity in the region.
The Federal Government has already acceded to some of the major demands of the protesters by disbanding notorious police formation hitherto known as SARS. However, this gesture has seemingly failed to stop the protests.
It is not yet clear if the recent tactics by the DSS will quell the rising agitation in the north. The Sahelian Times has not been able to speak to the DSS spokesman in Kano at the time of filing this report.
