There appears to be a looming power tussle crises at Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, as Nigeria police Kaduna state command confirmed to have deployed personnels to its headquarters at Sokoto road in kaduna state.
Although police has denied sealing off the headquarters, but admitted that its officers were deployed to the facility purely as a preventive measure to avert a possible breakdown of law and order between two rival groups.
The clarification comes amid allegations by the ACF that its headquarters was sealed off ahead of a scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, a claim that sparked fresh tension within the organisation.
Reacting to the development in an interview with journalist, police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansur Hassan, said the command acted on intelligence and formal notifications received from two different factions within the forum, each indicating plans to hold meetings at the same venue and time.
He explained that the situation created a potential flashpoint that could have led to confrontation if not properly managed.
“They want to hold a meeting there today at the same time, the same venue. And as a law enforcement agency, we cannot allow a clash. Once there is a clash, there must be a breakdown of law and order,” he said.
DSP Hassan added that the decision to deploy officers was informed by the need to preserve the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kaduna State.
“So as Kaduna State is enjoying relative peace, we cannot allow such things to happen. That is why we prevented it,” he stated.
The police spokesperson further stressed that contrary to claims of a sealed headquarters, the facility remained accessible, with officers only stationed at strategic points to prevent any escalation between opposing groups.
“We received intelligence and letters from the two factions that want to hold a meeting there. So to prevent that, that is why we made that deployment. We cannot allow breakdown of law and order or clash between any group,” he added.
The development comes at a time of heightened tension within the ACF over disputed leadership transition arrangements, conflicting constitutional interpretations, and parallel statements emerging from different organs of the forum.
While the police maintain their action was purely preventive, the incident has further deepened concerns over internal divisions within the influential northern socio-political organisation.
Recalled that the forum recently issues press statement of debunking a purported change of leadership with by its board of trustees without following the proper! constitution of the body, and declared the changes null, void and Constitutional.
