Kaduna civil society coalition calls off Independence Day protest

More than 20 civil society organisations in Kaduna State suspended a peaceful protest they had planned for 1 October, saying criminal elements could hijack it and trigger clashes with security agencies, Blueprint reports.

The coalition's convener, Aminu Haruna, told journalists in Kaduna on Thursday that the decision followed consultations with stakeholders and a review of the security situation. "We don't want the protest to cause chaos," he said. The protest had been meant to draw attention to the country's development problems since independence.

Haruna said the suspension did not mean the groups had stopped holding government to account. Their demands, which he said concern the welfare of Nigerians and particularly Kaduna residents, would be passed to the executive through the security agencies.

The coalition also called on governors to sign execution warrants for death-row inmates whose legal processes have been exhausted, arguing that the long detention of condemned prisoners is a burden on taxpayers.