The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar the 3rd has called for a collective and coordinated approach to solve the nation’s security problems.
Alhaji Abubakar who made the call in Abuja at the 2021 4th Quarter Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, with the theme “NIREC, security agencies and peace in Nigeria” advised Nigerians to desist from the blame game and unite against terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements in the country.
He said everything was not right with the country, citing the increased level of crime and criminality across the federation.
“Let’s not deceive ourselves, everything is not alright, I have said this so many times, and to know that you have a problem, you have part of the solution. The earlier we rise to the occasion, come together, the better for us. If I continue talking about the insecurity in the North, we will not leave this room, a few days ago, we are witnesses to the media report on how people were killed in a bus in Sokoto, even though the figure is not correct, but even one life is important, there is no single day that passes without people being killed in the North especially in the North West now, but we don’t hear it,” he explained.
Citing the recent threat letter by bandits to Christians in Zamfara state, Northwest Nigeria, the Sultan came hard on the security agencies for not doing enough to investigate and authenticate the source of the violent message.
He lamented that the lack of due diligence by the police before informing Christians of the planned attack on Churches in Zamfara could have frightened worshippers and dampened their faith.
“When I saw a note that the bandits are threatening Christians in Zamfara, I asked what is the work of our security agencies? Why will they come out and make such a comment when they have not verified it? You are making people more frightened.
I will not stop going to the mosque to pray because I saw in a paper that if I go to the mosque I will be killed, let me be killed. I must die. So, Christians should not be afraid of going to church to worship because an anonymous person is threatening them.”
In the same vein, the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Samson Ayokunle urged security agencies to learn from the United States, strategies for tackling insecurity.
Reverend Ayokunle wondered why persons would be kidnapped and the security could not trace them and their abductors through intelligence.
“Why should these people be killing and hiding people in our territory without being challenged, why should it be easy for them to hide people somewhere within the state and the security agencies in the state within a few days or weeks will not be able to fish them out?” Travelling from one point to another by road, in particular, has become a very great risk, kidnappers are everywhere and they don’t only come out to kidnap but also to kill, so you don’t know who the next victim is going to be” he lamented.
The CAN President called for an increase in intelligence gathering urging the public to also volunteer information to the security agencies to help the tracing and apprehension of the criminals.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Reverend Father Cornelius Omonokhua, called on Christians and Muslims to join hands to fight terrorism and insecurity.
“No terrorist can be a religious person and no religious person can be a terrorist. We must come together now to pray and fight those who have waged war against humanity in Nigeria,”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha who was also present at the meeting asked for the collaboration of the religious leaders to tackle the security situation in the country, as they are the closest to the citizens.
He said religious leaders are the only ones who can get to the heart of the citizens to complement the good work of the government.
“That is why we often run to the religious leaders asking them to inculcate good values into the heart of our people because no matter how the government work hard if we do not get community bidding that will provide community intelligent about some of the things that are happening in our society it will become impossible for the security agencies to operate effectively successful.”
NIREC is a voluntary Association in Nigeria, made up of twenty-five Christians and twenty-five Muslims, that has been promoting interfaith dialogue and improving religious understanding in Nigeria.
Nnenna.O
