Verbal spat erupts between ACF and law enforcement over Kaduna headquarters amid heated NEC gathering

The Arewa Consultative Forum and the Nigeria Police Force engaged in a war of words on Tuesday over the alleged sealing of the forum's Kaduna headquarters, which is scheduled to host its National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

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The ACF accused the police of unlawfully shutting down its secretariat, while the Kaduna State Police Command countered that its operatives were deployed to prevent a potential breakdown of law and order due to intelligence about a possible clash between rival factions within the organisation.

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In a statement issued in Kaduna, the forum's National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, described the police action as unwarranted and lacking any legal basis, stating that the office was sealed without a court order.

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The only hint about the development was an unsigned circular allegedly attributed to the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Bashir Dalhatu, suggesting that the NEC meeting had been cancelled, a claim the forum rejected.

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The ACF maintained that the BoT chairman lacked the constitutional authority to cancel meetings of its statutory organs, and that the forum was unaware of any court order against it or any directive curtailing its functions.

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The NEC meeting, as well as an earlier National Working Committee meeting held on Tuesday, were convened by the ACF Chairman, Mamman Osuman, in line with the provisions of its constitution, the forum clarified.

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The ACF stressed that the powers of the BoT chairman were limited to those outlined in its constitution and did not extend to operational matters, and called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to urgently intervene by directing the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police to unseal the secretariat.

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The forum also maintained that there was no security threat to justify the police action, noting that its earlier meeting was conducted peacefully and that relevant security agencies had been duly notified, and that delegates had already arrived in Kaduna for the NEC meeting.

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According to the ACF, there was "absolutely no basis for sealing the office unless there are unstated motives", and the police action was unjustified.

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DSP Mansur Hassan, the Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, said the command did not seal the ACF headquarters but deployed officers to the premises to prevent a possible clash between two factions within the forum.

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He explained that the police received intelligence and written notifications from the two factions, both planning to hold meetings at the same venue and time, which could have led to a breakdown of law and order.

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Hassan added that the deployment was necessary to sustain the prevailing peace in the state, and that the police only positioned officers around the facility to maintain order and prevent any confrontation between the groups.

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The development comes amid lingering leadership tensions within the ACF, with disputes over authority and constitutional interpretation continuing to fuel uncertainty within the influential northern socio-political body.