The Nation woke-up yesterday (Saturday 25th November, 2023) to learn of fresh attack on Matunji Community in Maru Local Government of Zamfara State where over 100 people comprising of innocent men, women and children were kidnapped.
The incident which took place at about 8.00 pm shortly after Ishai Prayers last Friday has attracted the attention of Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) – a Body of Muslim Media Practitioners and other Professionals.
Reacting to the unfortunate incident, the Group called on the Security Agencies in the Country especially the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Airforce and the Police to rise to the challenge posed by these criminals to innocent lives and property of various Communities particularly in their current areas of operation i.e. North West and North Central comprising of Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Niger States.
More worrisome the Group said, is the fact that these attacks were usually preceeded by intimidation from the attackers that certain Communities should pay certain amount of money to prevent them from being attacked! This is worrisome!
For example, MMWG stated that it reliably learnt that the Matunji Community that was attacked last Friday had been given a notice of payment of N100 Million or risk of being attacked for non-payment. The ultimatum of 1 month given by the criminals lapsed when they struck last Friday.
The inability of the Community to ‘settle’ the criminals lapsed was responsible for the attack, the Group stated.
MMWG also quoted reliable Media Report that Magami and Tofa Communities have been given an ultimatum also to either pay N5 Million or risked being attacked!
All these provocative and insulting demands by the criminals questioned security and intelligence corps operating under our Security Agencies in Nigeria – the so-called ‘Giant of Africa’, the Group stated.
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria therefore called on the Military, the Police and numerous Intelligence Corps working independently and those working under the Security Agencies in the affected areas of the affected Zones to immediately account for those abducted and bring the abductors before Nigerians to face the law.
According to the Group ‘enough is enough’ of this shameful embarrassment.
The Nigerian Army and The Nigerian Airforce need to trace the enclaves of these criminals and decimate them as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had warned that ‘he would not tolerate any excuse for any failure whatsoever’, the Group said.
It also warned our Security Forces to stop reacting to attacks of these bandits but to always take the ‘battle’ to their dens before they commence their heinous crimes so as wipe them off without further delay.
In MMWG’s view, the fight on drug-addiction, peddling and control must now be total; adding that the criminals must have been operating under the influence of drugs. It also challenged Media Organizations operating in the two troubled Geo-Political Zones to increase their mass advocacy and propaganda through playing of jingles in local languages of the people on the importance of reporting constantly suspected illicit gatherings and movements to create consciousness and awareness; adding that Security ‘Is a joint Responsibility’, the Group concluded.
AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY – ADO-EKITI (ABUAD): RELIGIOUS FREEDOM & TOLERANCE
In another development, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has called on Nigerian Elderstatesman – Are Afe Babalola, SAN – Founder of ABUAD to stop act of religious discrimination, fanaticism and intolerance pervading the University.
A Press Statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator of the Group Alh. Ibrahim Abdullahi – a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria and the National Secretary of the Group Dr. Nasir Balogun, stated that it was highly condemnable to allow student catholic priests (Nuns) to use their veils in the Institution and compel female muslim students and staff to remove their hijab while in university. It described such action as discriminatory and provocative.
The Group gave four main reasons why the Founder – Are Afe Babalola, SAN – a respected Elderstatesman must not allow such religious intolerance and discrimination to continue..
The first one according to the Group is that the Founder is an Outstanding Legal Luminary in Africa who is known to respect the ‘Rule of Law’.
Secondly, the Group stated that the Elderstatesman is well-known to have friends across the Continent of Africa some of whom are not Christians like him and who would not want their children and wards schooling in ABUAD discriminated against on the basis of religion.
Thirdly, the Group said the Elderstatesman recognised the difference between a Secondary School and a University where some level of lawful freedom is guaranteed for students including that of religious practice and
Fourth is that the Icon and Legal Luminary would never claim that he is not aware that the issue of ‘use of hijab’ for female Muslim students in any Institution in Nigeria has been ruled upon by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Fundamental Human Right that must not be denied any citizen and that whoever denies anyone, runs foul of the law.
MMWG therefore appealed to the Founder & Proprietor of ABUAD Are Afe Babalola, SAN to live up to expectation of the people by removing all impediments to lawful religious freedom in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti.
Perhaps, Authorities of ABUAD need be informed or reminded that in all Institutions from Secondary to Universities whether Public or Private in US, UK, Canada, China and Germany to mention a few, as at today – students are not denied freedom of worship including wearing of hijab.
ABUAD would be acting rightly if a Mosque and a Chapel is erected in its University Campus for devotion to God by its staff and students.
We need not ‘remove’ the hands of God from our affairs if truly we believe in Him, the Media Group concluded.
