Members of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) have finally stormed Katsina State on Thursday, for an indefinite protest to compel the authorities to rescue hundreds of students abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.
The demonstrators are expected to proceed to Daura to register their concerns to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently holidaying in the ancient town.
Spokesperson of CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, has said crackdown on protesters won't be unexpected following the disruption of its meeting by hoodlums in Kaduna State, and the presence of security across Katsina state ahead of the protests.
He however, said the coalition will not be deterred by the attacks and would join others to protest and call for the release of the Kankara boys “fast, alive and safe.”
Suleiman said the CNG was aware of the massive reinforcement of police officers around Katsina State and called for caution against any attempt to suppress their legitimate protest, which he claimed would be conducted peacefully.
“It will be unreasonable to expect any northerner and well-meaning Nigerian to fold their arms and watch the north, a significant component of the country, abandoned to the mercy of bandits, murderers and kidnappers,” he said.
Suleiman recently said during a press conference, that the group would mobilize youths to protest if nothing is done to rescue the children in time.
He said, “We condemn in totality this barbaric act and call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits, we equally stress the inability of the government to protect those young, innocent, vibrant students from this horrible attack as uncalled for.
“Failure of the government to rescue the missing students within the shortest period of time, CNG will not hesitate to mobilize hundreds of thousands on the streets of Katsina state for a continuous protest, until the students are fully rescued, even if it’s going to cost our lives.”