Two Northern groups, the Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) and the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA), have expressed different stand points on the decision of an Abuja Federal High Court, restraining the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, from arresting and detaining the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over alleged trumped-up allegations of terrorism sponsorship.
The groups made their positions known on the matter in separate statements issued on Friday in Kaduna.
The CNF in its statement signed by Abdulsalam Kazeem, its spokesman, called on Emefiele to step aside to allow for investigations.
Kazeem also urged the DSS to “immediately appealed the federal high court ruling and go ahead with their planned arrest of Mr.Emefele since it is in the interest of national security.”
The group added that “National security is a serious issue, we can’t afford a relapse of insecurity in this country because of mindless distractions.”
The group maintained that unraveling the allegations against the CBN governor “will put paid to the endless and mindless killings and attacks all over the country.”
However, in a swift reaction, AYA described the CNF as mushroom group which has no regards for the rule of law.
The AYA statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ali Mohammed, said since introduction of reforms by the CBN, election riggers and kidnappers have continued to sponsor attacks on the CBN governor.
Mohammed said, “Our attention has been drawn to press statement by a mushroom group, parading themselves as Concerned Northern Forum, wherein they encouraged the Department of State Services to ignore the FCT High Court judgment restraining them and the EFCC from arresting Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, following unproven allegations of corruption of national security dimension and financing of terrorist organizations.
“We wouldn’t have dignified the group with a response but the fact that the unknown group and their representatives claim to be speaking on behalf of northerners, if left unchecked, it would portray northerners as anarchists and people without regard for rule of law and understanding of the principle of separation of power.”
According to the AYA, “The CBN introduced new policies to fight election rigging through vote buying and equally fight the multi-billion naira kidnapping for ransom.
“Since then, stakeholders in the two demonic enterprises have continued to sponsor attacks on the Central Bank of Nigeria governor.”
Mohammed said further that,
“The misguided group in their jejune attributed some sort of high-powered intelligence gathering potential to the DSS as if Nigerians are not aware that it was not this same type of intelligence gathering that led to the forceful removal of Justice Walter Akanu Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), afterwards, he wasn’t convicted of any wrongdoing.”
The AYA maintained that “The continued attack on officeholders from the Southern part of the country with reckless abandonment is the greatest threat to our national cohesion.
“As a group, we will continue to work for the unity and progress of our country.
“Mr. Emefiele who ensured that the agricultural potential of Northern Nigeria is unlocked through the anchor-borrowers program and various interventions don’t deserve the evil they are trying to visit on him.
“We want to call on the FCT High court to be prompt in ensuring that whoever disobeys its valid order is committed to imprisonment. “The same should be applied to those encouraging the DSS to do so.”
