Northern Consensus Movement Condemns APC Protest at DSS Headquarters

By Abdullahi Alhassan Kaduna 

The Nineteen Seventeen Northern Consensus Movement (NSNCM) for Peace, Unity, Empowerment and Development Initiative has opposed the protest carried out by some All Progressives Congress (APC) members at the Department of State Security Services headquarters. The movement, an amalgamation of 594 affiliated registered associations of Northerners from the 19 Northern States and associations of Northerners resident in the 17 Southern States, made its stance known in a press statement.

Signed by Comrade Awwal Abdullahi Aliyu, National President of the movement, the statement referenced a publication by "The Frontier" on November 12, 2024, titled "APC Protestors Storm DSS Headquarters, Demand Probe of Defence Minister Matawalle Over Alleged Ties with Bandits." The protesters demanded an independent probe into allegations made by the current governor accusing Minister Matawalle of sponsoring bandits and misappropriating state funds. They also called for the minister's resignation to ensure transparency and fairness in the investigation.

The statement noted that a recent cabinet reshuffle retained Minister Matawalle and the Minister of State due to their exemplary performance records, which received necessary clearances from security and economic agencies. The NSNCM expressed support for the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum's (AYCF) response to the protest.

According to the statement, "This is not a time for unnecessary distraction. The situation bedeviling our collective security in the North and Nigeria as a whole requires all collaborative hands on deck." The protesters were urged to channel their energy into constructive information gathering and forward intelligence reports to security organs to eradicate banditry and other social vices.

The movement implored the Minister and Minister of State for Defence to stay focused on their mission to improve security. It emphasized that divisive tactics and distractions have no place in the current circumstances and called for collaborative efforts to end security infringements.