Above is a file photo of Sharif speaking at an event.
THE Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Coalition of Northern Groups, (CNG), Nastura Ashir Sharif, has reportedly been arrested and detained by the police at Police Force Headquarters in Abuja; CNG’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, stated early Wednesday in a terse statement made available to National Record.
Suleiman said Sharif was arrest on Tuesday following peaceful protests in Katsina against ongoing killings of citizens by bandits in the North-Western states.
“The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) hereby confirms that Nastura Ashir Sharif, its chairman of the Board of Trustees is currently being detained at the Police Force HQ, Abuja.
“He was arrested Tuesday afternoon and moved to Abuja shortly after the peaceful protests in Katsina against killings of helpless citizens by bandits.
“CNG is shocked that a government which is bound to observe the true tenets of democracy can go all out to intimidate a people on a constitutionally guaranteed mission.
“The protests, as record shows, were the most peaceful ever in recent times which was even confirmed by the Katsina police commissioner who received the protesters at the government house,” the statement said, while calling on the international community, global human right actors to note the situation.
It urged supporters to remain calm as the group’s lawyers are looking into the matter.
Efforts to confirm the arrest and detention from the Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Frank Mba, failed as calls to his mobile phone rang out just as a text message sent to the same number and on whatsapp was not responded to. Similar message sent to his deputy, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adeniran Aremu was also not responded to as at the time of going to press.
