Hours to the May 29 handover, the Kaduna State Government led by Governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared the Atyap Community Development Association as an unlawful society in the state and signed an order to proscribe it.

The proscription order noted that the Southern Kaduna association allegedly involved in acts capable of endangering the peace, tranquility, and co-existence and good governance of the state.

A statement by El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the governor signed the Atyap Community Development Association (Proscription) Order, 2023 in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 60 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law No. 5 of 2017, and Section 5 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The proscription order became effective on May 24, 2023.

The proscription order noted that Sections 38 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantee the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and also the right to the freedom of association and peaceful assembly to all citizens.