We are now waking up to the reality of religious hatred induced anger against Muslims in south-south and south east Nigeria. The ENDSAR protest was hijacked by people who doesnt want Nigeria to co-exist peacefully and I dare to say that the South East of Nigeria constitutes the larger percentage.
IPOB and other divisive elements need to be caution on the likely consequences of their crimes against Muslims who are minority in South East.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, NSCIA His Eminence, Abubakar Saad has writes a strong worded petition to the Director of State Security Service.
A petition dated 1st of November and signed by Prof. Salisu Shehu, the Deputy Secretary General on behalf of Sultan urges securities agencies to to rise up to this challenge and protect the lives and property of Muslims in the South-East and South-South as bonafide citizens of Nigeria who should live peacefully in any part of the Country.
The Petition titled Complaint on Rev. Father Godfrey Igwebuike Onahs hateful sermon and its consequent Murder of Muslims and Destruction of their property in the south-east and south-south zones of Nigeria Specifically implore DSS to as a matter of urgency interrogate Reverend Father Godfrey Igwebuike Onah on his hate speech, inciteful sermon of lies fabricated to provoke hatred for the Muslims.
NSCIA stated that the body had earlier written a letter dated 6 Rabiul-Awwal, 1441 AH (23 October, 2020) where they implore the State Security Service to specially protect the lives, property and places of worship of Muslims living in the South-East and South-South.
In the said letter we informed you about the violent assaults being unleashed on the Muslims in some parts of the zones. Some were killed and their property worth billions of Naira were looted, vandalized or set on fire. Mosques including very ancient ones built by Indigenous Igbo Muslims were burnt. Rather than abating, the persecution and violence against Muslims in the said two zones have persisted with greater intensity.
Giving further details on the allegations against Father Godfrey Igwebuike Onah NSCIA in the statement said on Saturday, 31 October, 2020, as a result of a hateful and inciteful sermon, full of lies and fallacies, delivered by one Bishop, Reverend Father Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, some Christian bigots unleashed violent and virulent attack on Muslims in Nsukka and burnt their Mosques (see attached pictures of the burnt Mosques). We are yet to confirm the number of casualties. In the sermon attached, it was clear that the Bishop instigated the worshippers against Mosques and Muslims.
A close friend who is Medical personnel in Enugu told me that The first and only Jummat Masjid was burn down in Enugu.
He said the wickedness and targeted nature of the attacks saw the attackers manually collapse the second Mosque because if they put fire on it, it will affects a falling station close to the Mosque and the filling station belongs to a Christian.
It is my sincere hope that the Federal Government will intervene and respond to the calls of Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. Minority must be protected wherever they are because Nigerians have embraced inter communal mixing.
