‘Selective policing’ — ADC faults Kaduna police over reaction to meeting disruption

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Kaduna police command of attempting to criminalise opposition politics following the disruption of its event in Kaduna.

On Saturday, suspected thugs stormed the inauguration of an opposition transition committee in Kaduna, attacking participants and damaging property.

The hoodlums, armed with cutlasses, clubs, and stones, were said to have injured several people and destroyed vehicles.

The host, Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna and a member of the ADC coalition, described the attack as “a dangerous descent into lawlessness.”

El-rufai also alleged that senior police officers, including an assistant commissioner, stood by while the violence unfolded.

Afterwards, the Kaduna police command said it had opened an investigation into the incident.

Mansir Hassan, spokesperson of the command, said the event was organised without “prior notification” to security agencies despite “repeated warnings.”

Hassan added that the police launched an inquiry at the ADC party secretariat, and the party leadership “denied knowledge” of any meeting, reaffirming their commitment to the rule of law and distancing themselves from claims linked to the former governor.

‘REVISIT YOUR STATEMENT’

In a statement on Sunday, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, asked the Kaduna police command to “immediately revisit its statement and conduct a transparent investigation.”

Abdullahi asked the command to explain why its “officers allegedly abandoned their duty when our leaders and members came under attack.”

The ADC spokesperson said the police rushed to label the party as “political gangsters” even while admitting that an investigation had only just begun.

He said it was contradictory for the police to draw conclusions before establishing facts, adding that such conduct undermines justice and democracy.

“Investigations should establish facts before conclusions are drawn; when police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy,” the statement reads.

“Second, the claim by the Kaduna police that our gathering was ‘unauthorized’ is dangerously presumptuous.

“In a democracy, the right to assemble peacefully is guaranteed by the Constitution, not a State Police Command.

“A Police notification is a matter of procedure and often courtesy, not a license to exercise a right that has been granted by the constitution.

“To suggest otherwise is to turn citizens’ freedoms into privileges at the mercy of the state.

“Third, the threat that hotels and event centres will be ‘held liable’ if they host political meetings without police approval is equally ludicrous.

“It amounts to intimidation of private citizens and businesses, effectively denying opposition parties access to spaces for lawful activity.

“No democracy thrives where access to public or private venues is determined by the whims of security agencies under any guise.”

The ADC spokesperson added that the blanket suspension of “unauthorised gatherings” announced by the Kaduna police was an abuse of power and amounted to vetoing democracy.

Abdullahi added that “democracy is not a crime, but selective policing is”, while urging citizens to resist growing acts of violence and intimidation against the opposition by the APC.