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The Kaduna State Police Command has denied sealing off the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) headquarters.
The command insisted that its officers were deployed to the premises to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order between two rival factions within the organisation.
The clarification came amid rising tension over reports that the ACF headquarters was sealed ahead of a scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, a development that has deepened concerns over an internal leadership dispute within the forum.
Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansur Hassan, explained that the command acted on intelligence and written notifications received from two different groups within the ACF, each indicating plans to hold meetings at the same venue and at the same time.
He explained, “The situation posed a serious risk of confrontation, which the police could not allow to escalate into violence.”
He stated that members of factions of ACF wanted to hold a meeting at the same time, the same venue, saying that as a law enforcement agency, the police cannot allow such a clash as once there is a clash, there must be a breakdown of law and order.
DSP Hassan added that the deployment was necessary to sustain the prevailing peace in Kaduna State.
He added, “So as Kaduna State is enjoying relative peace, we cannot allow such things to happen. That is why we prevented it.”
He further clarified that the police did not seal the headquarters but only positioned officers around the facility to ensure order and prevent any confrontation between the two groups.
The state police spokesman stated that they received intelligence and letters from the two factions that want to hold a meeting there, stressing that to prevent that, that is why the police made that deployment.
“We cannot allow breakdown of law and order or clash between any group,” he added.
The development comes amid ongoing leadership tensions within the ACF, with conflicting claims over authority and constitutional interpretation continuing to fuel uncertainty within the influential northern socio-political body.
