The Gombe State Police Command has held an interactive session with the leadership of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Izalatil Bidi’a wa Ikamatul Sunnah (JIBWIS) ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
Jama’atu Nasril Islam (Group for the Victory of Islam) is an umbrella group for the Nigerian Muslim community.
Speaking to the participants, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Oqua Etim, stressed the need for peaceful coexistence among the religious communities.
Represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Yusufu Muhammed Lawal, he expressed gratitude to the religious leaders for their continued support and fervent prayers for sustainable security and peaceful coexistence among the diverse ethnic and religious groups in the state.
The Commissioner of Police urged the religious leaders to preach against the negative use of social media to spread harmful messages, especially on TikTok and Whatsapp, which may lead to unrest or breach of peace in the state.
He further urged the religious leaders and their followers not to allow politicians exploit the teachings of the revered belief system to fan the embers of disunity, bigotry and primordial sentiments, which is capable of derailing the collective aspirations for a free, fair and credible election.
The Executive Secretary, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Saleh Danburam, said the Islamic body would continue to preach peace, promote unity among religions, affirming that imams under their watch will not involve themselves in partisan politics.
Similarly, the chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Father Joseph Shinga, noted that peace was the building block of harmonious coexistence, emphasizing that the spread of fake and unverified information was capable of heating up the polity, especially now that citizens were ready to go out and exercise their franchise.
In the meantime, the Commissioner of Police urged parents to caution their children/wards not to engage in political thuggery.
He said any individual or group found inciting people along religious lines would be apprehended, prosecuted and made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Commissioner of Police gave the people of Gombe state the assurances of maximum security before, during and after the voting exercise.
Leave a Reply