…carpets CAN for threatening war over issue
The Secretary General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said that the council is negotiating with Boko Haram sect for the release of Leah Sharibu, the Christian girl still being held in captivity by the insurgents.
Oloyede, who doubles as the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board also warned religious leaders across Nigeria to desist from promoting crisis in the society.
The NSCIA secretary general spoke while delivering a lecture titled: “Achieving Peace, Stability and Good Governance in a Multi-ethnic and Multi-religious Society” at The Point Newspaper’s Annual Ramadan Lecture held at the premises of the Lagos Television, Agindingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.
He stated that NSCIA began negotiations with some members of the Boko Haram sect before the recent threat by the Christian Association of Nigeria that there would be religious war if Sharibu should die in the captivity of the insurgents.
Recall that the insurgents had abducted 110 students on February 19 and released them a month later, with the exception of Sharibu and five other students, who died in captivity.
Sharibu was held back for refusing to renounce her Christian faith and she has since remained in captivity.
Oloyede, however, disclosed that the Muslim body had already reached out to the insurgents and promised to help to secure an amnesty for the members of the sect, if they set Sharibu free.
He, therefore, described the threats by CAN on the matter as unnecessary, uncalled for and counter-productive to the negotiations for Sharibu’s release from captivity.
Oloyede said, “The unfortunate abduction of Leah and other girls, both Muslims and Christians, is intensely hurtful to all right-thinking persons. I am aware that the particular case of Leah made the leadership of the NSCIA reach out to all possible channels of reaching the group with a proposal to secure amnesty for the group provided Leah and other girls in captivity are released and the group surrender their arms. This knowledge made the careless threat particularly painful.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recently escalated the state of insecurity with its threat that should Leah Sharibu die in captivity of Boko Haram, there would be religious war!!!
“I am as astonished as the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) who recently expressed shock at the destructive and counter-productive statement.
“Boko Haram has never hidden its mission of setting Nigeria ablaze through a religious war. Whose interest was the call to serve? Definitely, not that of the innocent Nigerian Lady, Leah Sharibu. Is it fair, religious or Godly to, for the sake of political grandstanding and publicity-seeking, endanger the life of such a precious, principled and promising Lady?
“I am sure the immediate family members of the Lady would not subscribe to such politicisation of the misfortune.”
The NSCIA secretary general expressed regret that religious leaders in the country have derailed from the ways of God.
The JAMB registrar added that some unscrupulous religious leaders had continued to aggravate the problems of Nigeria by manipulating the minds of the common people to achieve their own selfish goals and agenda.
Referring to the killings in the North Central part of the country, he argued that the conflict between the herdsmen and Tiv people was as old as the country, and not a new development as Nigerians were being erroneously made to believe.
Oloyede, therefore, enjoined religious leaders in Nigeria to make concerted efforts to properly guide their followers in order to enhance peace and unity of the country.
“It is time religious leaders in this country knew that playing politics with religion will amount to serious punishment from God. Most clerics today, manipulate things in their favour, hence disturbing the peace of our society. This is not limited to any religion; it goes to both Christian and Muslim leaders in this country. Look at the Benue crisis for instance, some religious leaders were quick to relate it to religious war, and this can lead to war. Likewise, the case of Leah Shibaru, was also tagged to be a religious issue. All these will not improve, but amount to crisis in our society.
The NSCIA secretary general sued for peace and harmony between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, saying they both serve the same God.
Quoting from Quran 29vs 46, Oloyede stressed that since Christians and Muslims worship the same God, religious crisis should have no room in the society.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Baba Adeen of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola, said the term “Islamic terrorism” used in certain quarters was a misnomer and part of the efforts to paint the Islamic religion in bad light.
Isola described Islam as a religion of peace, which ensures justice for all human beings.
Dignitaries at the Ramadan lecture included the representative of the the Mudeer, Markaz, Habeebulah Adam Al-llory; the President, Muslim Ummah of S/West Nigeria, and Vice President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Chief S.O.B Babalola; the immediate past Registrar, APCON, Nigeria, Alhaji Bello Kankarufi; and the National Amirah, The Criterion, Alhaja Fatymah Yewande Oyefeso, among others.
