Youths, Students Dissociate From NANS Senate President, Babtee’s Alleged Protest Plan – YFN says
In a statement issued on Friday and obtained by this newspaper, unedited below;
In what could be described as a commendable move by progressive Nigerian Youths, a cross session of various youth and student groups have dissociated selves from a planned protest spare headed by one Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, a factional Senate President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS.
Akinteye had written letters to about 13 youth and student groups calling on them to mobilize for a protest against a former chief of Defence Intelligence.
From a very close associate of Akinteye (name withheld), it was gathered that a certain top government official was behind the planned protest to smear the image of the former General. Though the date for the protest as stipulated in the letters shared by Akinteye reads 19th/20th November 2014, our source revealed that the Protest is billed for a date before the one on the letter.
One of the groups Akinteye wrote to for mobilization support; The FCT Youth Council ably led by Comrade Barnabas Yakubu in a press release made available to journalists during their brief this evening in Garki, Abuja did not only dissociate their council from the protest but also issued a stern warning to Mr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez popularly called Babtee.
Barnabas told journalists that investigation reveals an alleged issuance of 8,500 dollars to Akinteye Afeez by a yet to be identified senior Government official who wants a protest held in order to character assassinate a former Chief of Defence Intelligence.
“We will not participate in such an ungodly protest neither will we allow it to hold in any part of the Federal Capital. Babtee or what ever he is called will have FCT Youths to contend with if he tries to assemble anybody for protest in Abuja”, Barnabas angrily stated.
In another twist, the leaderships of the Youth Federation of Nigeria, YFN and Nigerian Students Parliament have joined the dissociation train.
Below is the content of the reply from Youth Federation of Nigeria to Akinteye Afeez:
.
The President of Senate
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)
C/o Akinteye Babatunde Afeez (Babtee)
8th November, 2024
Dear Babtee,
RE: The Call for Protest against Maj.Gen SA Adebayo, rtd.
I wish to inform you that I received your letter which was a call to mobilize members of the Youth Federation of Nigeria from Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa states and FCT for a protest against former Chief of Defence Intelligence.
I write to inform you that we will not participate in such a protest as the motives are uncertain and incoherent.
I will advise that you desist from any financially induced protest targeted for cheap political gains and shared character assassination.
Thanks.
Comr. Mubarak Aliyu Rimi
President YFN