Police Seal ACF Secretariat in Kaduna Ahead of Meeting

On Tuesday, police sealed off the ACF (Arewa Consultative Forum) Secretariat in Kaduna, effectively preventing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) from accessing the venue for a crucial meeting scheduled for Wednesday. This police action has generated fresh anxiety and confusion among members traveling from across 19 northern states, who were denied entry.

NEC members described the police move as unwarranted, insisting there was no crisis within the forum to justify such action. The chairman of the ACF board of trustees, Dalhatu, earlier declared the planned NEC meeting illegal and urged members to stay away to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

He claimed that the notice to convene the meeting was issued by a former secretary-general whose tenure had expired, thus lacking authority. However, the NEC chairman maintained that the meeting remained valid, citing provisions in the forum's constitution that direct members to attend as scheduled despite the standoff.

Investigations into the police action are set to begin as efforts continue to regain access to the secretariat.