‘Hoodlums’ disrupt northern coalition’s meeting on insecurity in Kaduna

Suspected hoodlums have disrupted a meeting of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) in Kaduna.

The coalition had converged on Arewa House, Kaduna, on Monday, to discuss the insecurity in the northern region when armed men broke into the hall.

CNG had organised a meeting under the theme, ‘Module for Broad-based Community Action for Self Defence, Deeper Engagement and Enhanced Synergy between States’, which was scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday.

Participants expected at the meeting included traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society groups, youths, the business community and other stakeholders from all 19 northern states of the country.

However, while the meeting was on, the attackers were said to have stormed the venue of the event and disrupted the meeting.

Tables were turned upside down, while a glass door was shattered in the process.

The incident took place hours after the CNG directed its members to organise a protest in Katsina, to demand the safe return of the students kidnapped from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina.

According to Aminu Masari, governor of Katsina, as of Sunday afternoon, 333 students were still unaccounted for.

According to a statement issued by the group on Sunday, the protest will take place at Daura, hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari — the president is currently in Katsina state.

“Three state chapters of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) are into massive mobilisation for an indefinite sit-out outside President Buhari’s home in Daura to demand urgent rescue of the kidnapped students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara,” the statement reads.

“CNG’S spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said the national headquarters of the coalition had been briefed by the three state chapters involved.

“The sit-out protest is expected to involve parents of all the abducted children and other concerned groups and individuals and to stay on until all the abducted children are returned alive and safe.

“The states to embark on the protests include Kano, Katsina and Jigawa.”