By Our Correspondent
National News – The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Nigeria Police Force are locked in a dispute over access to the ACF Kaduna Secretariat, as a scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that is supposed to hold today (Wednesday) was disrupted.
The controversy, which unfolded in Kaduna, Nigeria, involves rival leadership factions within the northern socio-political group.
While police authorities claim their actions were based on intelligence suggesting a possible clash, the ACF insists its headquarters was unlawfully sealed without a court order.
The situation escalated ahead of the NEC meeting meant to address internal leadership disagreements and constitutional interpretation issues.
The crisis began when two rival factions of the ACF announced parallel meetings at the same Kaduna venue and time, prompting security concerns.
According to the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, officers were deployed after receiving intelligence reports and written notifications warning of a likely confrontation.
The police maintained that their presence was strictly preventive to ensure peace and avoid a breakdown of law and order.
However, the ACF, through its National Publicity Secretary, Prof Tukur Muhammad-Baba, accused the police of sealing its secretariat illegally, arguing that no court order authorized such action.
The group further maintained that only its constitutional leadership, led by Chairman Mamman Osuman, has the authority to convene or cancel NEC meetings, rejecting claims from the Board of Trustees.
Both sides differ on events: the police maintain they only deployed officers for preventive security after intelligence reports, while the ACF insists the secretariat was unlawfully sealed without a court order.
The NEC meeting aimed at resolving internal leadership and constitutional disputes was stalled as tensions rose.
The incident underscores ongoing factional disagreements within the forum over authority, tenure interpretations, and committee control.
Delegates who arrived in Kaduna were unable to proceed with the meeting, prompting renewed calls for clarification and intervention to restore order.
