Nigerian Army has been commended for dismissing summarily the two soldiers who were involved in gruesome murder of Yobe Islamic Scholar Sheikh Muhammad Goni Aisami of Gashua in Yobe State.
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria in a Press Statement issued and jointly signed by its National Coordinator Mal. Ibrahim Abdullahi and National Missioner Sheikh Abu Sheriff said the open-trial conducted for the wicked soldiers in the presence of Media Practitioners has further increased the confidence of the people in the Military as regards discipline, rule of law and wiping-out of insecurity in Nigeria.
While commending the Nigerian Army for handing-over of the criminals to the Police for civil prosecution, the Group called on the Inspector-General of Police to ensure immediate prosecution of the dismissed soldiers and ensure that they are kept in a protective detention now till the end of trial as any untoward report of disappearance or escape of the suspects would bring Police Authotities in Nigeria to total condemnation. Several attacks of police formations by criminals that led to ‘burning, arson and release of criminals must not occur in this case’ otherwise the Police would be in serious trouble, the Group warned.
It also called on the Yobe State Judiciary not to delay the trial of dismissed soldiers as any delay could lead to further insecurity in the North in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria concluded by regretting the abolition of Armed Robbery Tribunals and public execution of condemned armed robbers in Nigeria; adding that the situation has further increased criminalities of various dimensions in Nigeria.
In early 70s to 80s, the Group said, Armed Robbery Tribunals succeeded in reducing to the barest minimum in Nigeria armed robbery cases but with the emergence of civil rule, it was scrapped as it was considered that such tribunals could not operate in a democracy. The Group said such Body could till be established in a way that would be acceptable to democratic a set-up
MMWG reiterated its call to all State Governments in Nigeria not to delay further the signing and execution of death warrants of all condemned criminals who have lost their appeals to Supreme Court of Nigeria, as failure to do do is among the reasons why jail-breaks persist in the Country.
LEAVE POLITICS TO POLITICIANS
Meanwhile, Clerics have been called upon to ‘leave politics to politicians’ and face their core mandates of winning souls for spiritual development of Nigeria.
The call was contained in the same Press Statement of Muslim Media Watch Group issued today!
The Group referred to widely publicised statement of the Bishop Christian Okeke of Christian Fellowship Mission (CFM) Awka- Anambra State, calling on Nigerians to vote out the current Government in power because of Muslim-Muslim ticket – describing the outburst as reckless, provocative and irresponsible.
According to the Group, religious leaders must leave politics to politicians pointing-out that such a reckless outburst ought not to emanate from clerics as the ban on campaign is yet to be lifted and when lifted churches and mosques must be left out of it as they are sanctuaries of God that should be insulated from politics.
As ‘preaching politics on the pulpit is sacrilegious’, the Group charged clerics who are interested in politics to resign from the pulpit and join political parties of their choice instead of causing disaffection in the congregation that could lead to breakdown of peace, law and order.
The Christian-Christian tickets being operated in the whole of South East, South- South and some parts of the North including Benue, Plateau and Taraba States as well as Ondo and Ekiti States has been distasteful and muslims have not noise about it as we believe that governance is not about religion.
The Muslim Media Group commended the Muslim and Islamic Scholars all over the Country for maintaining decorum and respecting the rule of law and refusing to tow the line of some of their christian counterparts by following who it referred to as ‘political clerics’ who pursue selfish, personal and tribalistic interests that is disuniting Nigerians; adding politics is ephemeral, while spiritualism is for eternal life and glory.
MMWG concluded by stating that 2023 is not about religion but ability, capability, competence, integrity and accountability as well as ability to bring on board credible people to serve in the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary with a view of reducing to the barest minimum crises facing Nigeria as a Nation.
MAL. IBRAHIM ABDULLAHI, FCIPM
National Coordinator
SHEIKH ABU SHERIFF
National Missioner
Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG)
29th August, 2022 CE / 2nd Safar, 1444 AH
