Insecurity: Trouble looms as serving North-East gov, ex-North-West gov mobilise groups for mass protest

By SONI DANIEL

Crisis appears to be looming in the Northern part of the country following fresh moves by a serving Northeast governor and former Northwest governor to launch mass protests across the northern states against the federal government to demonstrate their what they their dissatisfaction with the security situation in the country.

The two top politicians, who are also nursing presidential ambitions, are reported to have already held several clandestine meetings with aggrieved leaders of northern coalition youth groups, political pressure groups and other non-state actors with a view to firming up arrangements for what our source called the ‘mother-of-all protests’ against the administration.

The two northern politicians, who are also known to have pending corruption cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission amounting to huge sums of money they allegedly appropriated while in office, were said to have also mobilized support from secessionist agitators so as to give the protest a ‘national colouration’.

A top security source, who is monitoring the plot, confirmed to Saturday Vanguard that the planned mass protests are being programmed by the masterminds to take place simultaneously so as to generate significant impact.

“The plot is coming on the heels of a discreet meeting organized by the Northeast governor, which was attended by one of the leaders of the Northern youths and others on December 10, 2021 at the Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro,” the top source indicated.

“Thereafter, on the same night, the former Northwest governor hosted the same groups at his residence in Maitama District of Abuja during which they resolved to deploy the services of northern coalition groups and other non-state actors to create a civil disturbance with a view to discrediting the federal government especially in the area of security and democratic governance.

“And, following the outcome of the Abuja meeting, the said leader organized a town hall meeting with youths, religious groups, women and other pressure groups while the former governor, angrily addressed a press conference on the state of insecurity in the north,” the top official explained.

The source said that a top northern traditional ruler, who is supposed to be giving direction and guidance to the people of his domain, is being monitored for allegedly giving tacit support to the activities of the politicians.

“But I can assure you that we are monitoring the situation to ensure that the malevolent politicians and their collaborators do not plunge the north or any part of Nigeria into avoidable crisis. While the serving governor still has immunity till 2023, we might not hesitate to move against those who have no immunity,” the official warned last night. (Saturday Vanguard)