An Islamic cleric, Al-Imam Abdusemiu Alkilany, has condemned in strong terms, the kidnapping of an Islamic cleric in Kogi State, saying such kidnappers will in no distant future, incur the wrath of Allah.
Alkilany, the Chief Missioner of Islamic Education and Faith Initiative, based in Lagos, said such was an unholy act. Jibrin Idris, an Islamic scholar in Enabo, Ankpa Local Government area of Kogi State, was recently kidnapped, forcing the police to launch a manhunt for the kidnappers whom they eventually arrested last week.
Idris was subsequently released by his abductors after the payment of ransom. The suspects were a 24-year-old man and a 31-year-old man from Ankpa in Kogi, who had confessed their involvement in the kidnapping of the chief imam at Enabo in Ankpa District.
Alkilany, who was speaking with our correspondent after the break of the Ramadan fast with some faithful, said kidnapping did not only contravene the government laws but the laws of Allah as stated in the Holy Quran, as well.
Saying kidnapping touched on the abuse of human rights, the cleric noted, “It is a sort of impediment to somebody’s movement and if we look at the globalised world now, the law stipulates that you give everybody the opportunity to do what they like, so far it is not against the law of the land.”
He stressed that an aggrieved individual, rather than taking laws into his or her hands, should rather go through different agencies, or forum to express their feelings.
“Allah does not support kidnapping, individually, is it vehemently objected because it is tantamount to toying with the divine legislation of Allah the creator of human beings, that he has created you as human beings and you are now trying to extend difficulty or hardship to a fellow human being.
“Several religious leaders have been kidnapped, and one must also look at the background of the cleric, to know if he or she has a questionable character himself because at times people committing crimes to cause discomfort to their victims may not be doing that for financial gains but may also be doing that for revenge,” he said.
He added that nonetheless, whatever any grudge any one is having against his or her fellow human beings, there are better ways to resolve conflicts rather than commit heinous crimes.
“In a wholesome assessment, it is barbaric, anti-modern and also retrogressive to subject a fellow human being to any kind of suffering or kidnapping.
“The Quran in many of its verses tells us that we should not give distress to another person, irrespective of the kind of relationship you might have with that person.
“The Prophet (S.A.W) said, “Do not impose difficulty on others and do not allow such difficulty to be imposed on you.” This can be found in the Hadith of the Prophet.
“In the context of chapter 4, during the battle of Badru, Allah was against women being killed or women and children being held as hostages of war, that they should be freed. So when you take human beings as hostages, irrespective of sex, you should be gentle with them and this shows that we should not engage in vices such as kidnapping or putting people in distress,” he clarified.
