Former presidential candidate in a 3rd republic’s political party, the National Republican Convention (NRC), Bashir Othman Tofa, has told President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately order the release of the chairman, Board of Trustees, Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Nastura Ashir Sharif.
Tofa asked Buhari to apologise to Sharif, before fire consumes the North and the country, even more than the 2011 election violence.
Sharif was arrested by the Police for organising protests against the killing of Nigerians by bandits in Katsina and other States.
Tofa, in a statement on Wednesday, said the arrest and detention was wrong, undemocratic and a very bad example of intolerance.
He wondered why citizens who demonstrated peacefully against killings would be arrested and put in detention.
He said: “Is this a notice that nobody is allowed to say anything or to express a view, even peacefully? Is this the Democracy Nigeria is showing to the world? We hope not,” he said.
Tofa declared that so many people are angry about the state of the nation.
He warned that “if this collective anger is tickled and pushed by a few who may have started some illegal action somewhere, it will easily spread.
“The 2011 violence, destruction and death that occurred when it was rumoured that Gen. Muhammad Buhari was denied his victory will be a child’s play this time around.
“Nigerians are very angry! Insecurity everywhere, poverty, joblessness and now Covid-19, disease, despair and desperation have eaten deep into people’s patience and good sense.”
He maintained that Police and other agencies’ illegal arrests were “a deliberate attempt to dishonour this government and cause more hatred against it.”
He noted that because of Nastura’s situation, “I have the nasty and angry, often abusive words, uttered against the President by hitherto his supporters’
“President Buhari should be very careful. He should begin to know and appreciate his true and sincere friends, and get rid of his enemies, who do tremendous harm to his image and his own future well being and safety.”
“Buhari must remember that in three years, someone else will be President.
“I, and millions of other Nigerians, condemn the arrest of Nastura Sharif and other Nigerians who were either killed or injured simply because they came out to demonstrate and make their views known in a peaceful manner,” he added.
He demanded immediate release of Nastura and all those arrested and being detained for protesting the insecurity in Nigeria.