ACF, police trade words over Kaduna secretariat as NEC meeting sparks tension

The Arewa Consultative Forum and the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday traded words over the alleged sealing of the forum’s Kaduna headquarters ahead of its National Executive Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

While the ACF accused the police of illegally shutting down its secretariat, the Kaduna State Police Command denied the claim, insisting that its operatives were only deployed to prevent a breakdown of law and order following intelligence about a possible clash between rival factions within the organisation.

In a statement issued in Kaduna by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the forum described the police action as unwarranted and lacking any legal basis.

The ACF said its office was sealed without any court order, adding that 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.

The forum, however, rejected the claim, maintaining that the BoT chairman lacked the constitutional authority to cancel meetings of its statutory organs.

“The ACF is unaware of any court order against it nor any directive curtailing its functions,” the statement read.

It clarified that 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.

“Simply stated, the meetings are being called at the instance of the chairman and not the secretary-general, irrespective of current arguments about the latter’s tenure,” the forum added.

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.

It called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to urgently intervene by directing the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police to unseal the secretariat.

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.

“There is absolutely no basis for sealing the office unless there are unstated motives,” the statement added, noting that delegates had already arrived in Kaduna for the NEC meeting.

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

He explained that the police received intelligence and written notifications from two factions within the forum, both planning to hold meetings at the same venue and time.

“They want to hold meetings at the same time and venue. As a law enforcement agency, we cannot allow a clash. Once there is a clash, there must be a breakdown of law and order,” he said.

Hassan added that the deployment was necessary to sustain the prevailing peace in the state.

“So, as Kaduna State is enjoying relative peace, we cannot allow such things to happen. That is why we prevented it,” he stated.

He reiterated that the police only positioned officers around the facility to maintain order and prevent any confrontation between the groups.

“We received intelligence and letters from the two factions that want to hold meetings there. To prevent that, we made the deployment. We cannot allow a breakdown of law and order,” he added.

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.