A frontline movement, National Youth Alliance (NYA) has condemned an attempted arrest of one of its members, Sheriff Banki, allegedly under the orders of the Borno State Government.

According to a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna, President of NYA, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, decried the alleged attempted arrest.

The statement signed by the SA Media and Publicity to the NYA President, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, wondered why the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum who is well respected, would think of such a thing, if really he is involved in the attempted arrest.

“It is quite disheartening to see our governor who suppose to be servant of the good people of Borno, using his office to intimidate, harass and detain innocent citizens because they exercised their constitutional rights as citizens,” Ambassador Abbas said in the statement.

NYA explained that already, a petition has been written by a law firm, Saraki, Ahmed and Partners to the Inspector General of Police, in which, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 15, was alleged to be conniving with the Borno State Governor to intimidate their client, Sheriff Banki, who is a member of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the petition dated May 8, 2024, signed by Ahmed Sani Esq and Isiaka Saidu Esq, with the acknowledgement copy stamped May 10, Zulum through the Borno State Attorney General and a group of lawyers, is claiming that their client Banki insulted the governor through a recorded audio.

The petition however, described the refusal of the AIG Zone 15 to provide Banki’s legal representatives with copies of the petition against him from the Borno Government, as well as the invasion of his residence as an attempt to deny him of fair hearing.