The sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslims, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, speaks to the media at the state house in Abuja on December 27, 2011. Nigeria’s top Muslim spiritual leader sought to calm tensions Tuesday after meeting the country’s president over deadly Christmas attacks claimed by Islamists that risk inflaming sectarian divisions. AFP PHOTO / WOLE EMMANUEL (Photo credit should read WOLE EMMANUEL/AFP via Getty Images)
The President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has on Sunday, condemned the killing of a group of innocent Muslims, who were returning from Bauchi State to Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Saturday, warning strongly against the killing of Muslims in the country, Page 36 learnt.
The Sultan spoke in a statement by the Director of Administration, NSCIA, Arc. Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu.
The Council appealed to all Muslims to be calm, and stated that nobody should take the Laws into his or her hands.
The statement noted that the Council has re-emphasised that no human life deserves to be wasted on any ground, be it religious or ethnic.
In the spirit of the Islamic injunction, the Supreme Council quoted Qur’an 49:6 as saying: “O you who have believed! If some transgressors bring you news (that requires taking action), verify it carefully (before you believe and act upon it), lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then become regretful for what you have done.”
The Sultan, in the statement, also re-assured all peace-loving individuals and groups, that appropriate actions would be taken subsequent to a thorough investigation.
As efforts are on to locate the 8 missing Muslims, the Council urged the Security Agencies to fish out all the perpetrators of the dastardly acts, and ensure that adequate justice is done.
More news later…