A civil society organisation, Concerned Nigerians group has asked the Nigerian Police to immediately release the chairman of the board of trustees (BoT) of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Mr. Nastura Sharif who’s currently being detained for leading a protest against the insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
Sharif was arrested by the police in connection with the protest against the rising insecurity in the north.
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Some members of the group protested in Katsina on Tuesday, calling on president Muhammadu Buhari and governor Aminu Masari to resign over their inability to safeguard the lives and property of Nigerians in the North.
Reacting to the development, the Concerned Nigerians group in a statement signed by its convener, Deji Adeyanju berated the Federal government and the Police of being intolerant of dissents.
“The president should arrest the bandits and not patriotic citizens speaking up against the gross incompetence of the government.
“A government that negotiates and begs bandits cannot be arresting critics.”
“The president needs to show leadership and stop arresting those criticizing him.
“We are in democracy and this system of government gives the citizens the right and freedom to hold elected public officials accountable
“If the president can’t tolerate dissents, then, he should be courageous enough to resign.
“Freedom of assembly is one of the most fundamental rights of the citizens in a democracy,” he noted.
Adeyanju further stated that the primary responsibility of any government is security of lives and property of its citizens.
“All the energy being expended by the Police in arresting Mr. Nastura Sherif and other Concerned Nigerians who protested on Tuesday in Katsina should be channeled into taming the monstrous bandits terrorizing the people of Katsina and other parts of North”
“We are solidly behind Nastura Sherif and we call on the Nigerian government to release him immediately from detention,” Adeyanju stated.
