Shariah council protests Muslims’ exclusion from probe panel of Plateau killings
The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria has protested the alleged exclusion of Muslims from the committee set up to probe and proffer solutions to the endless killings in Plateau State.
This was as the council also challenged the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, to name the particular religious group he claimed to be sponsoring insurgency and laundering money for terrorists.
The Shariah council raised the issues in a statement on Sunday jointly signed by its President, Sheikh AbdulRasheed Hadiyahtullah, and Secretary, Mallam Nafi’u Ahmed.
Plateau had witnessed perennial crises and continued killings. One of the latest was the Christmas Eve attack on 15 villages in which over 150 persons were killed and about 221 houses razed, leading to the displacement of over 10,000 residents.
The Shariah council, in its statement on Sunday, contended that the alleged exclusion of Muslims from the committee set up to probe the killings smacked of discrimination and undermined the principles of justice.
The council said, “The total exclusion of Muslim representation from the security committee not only disregards the diverse fabric of the state (with at least 40 per cent Muslims) but also jeopardises the effectiveness of the committee in addressing the root causes of the ongoing conflicts.
We urgently call for a reevaluation of the committee’s composition to ensure that it is truly representative of the entire population
.The current imbalance not only undermines the principles of justice but also hinders the development of a united front against the challenges faced by the state.
“We, therefore, demand, as a right and in the interest of equity, the governor to heed this call for justice and equitable representation, as his action is sending a disturbing message to the world and creating a recipe for compounding the crisis.”
Meanwhile, the Shariah council also called on the EFCC to unveil a religious group it claimed was laundering money for terrorists.
The EFCC Chairman had last week said the anti-graft agency traced N7bn into the bank account of a religious sect and it had commenced a legal process to seize the money.
After the disclosure was reported by the media, the EFCC fumed that its chairman did not mention any particular religion, saying the religious organisation referred to by Olukoyede was neither a church nor a mosque.
However, the SCSN challenged the EFCC to name the said religious organisation.
“Regarding the recent disclosure by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission about religious groups sponsoring insurgency in Nigeria, the council demands of the commission to disclose the identity of the religious body allegedly sponsoring terrorism/insurgency with N7bn out of N13bn traced to its account.
This revelation has sent shockwaves across the nation, raising concerns about potential fund misuse for activities threatening Nigeria’s peace and security. The gravity of the situation calls for immediate public clarification of the group and decisive action to address the disturbing nexus between religious groups and insurgency.
“Accordingly, we urgently call upon the EFCC to publish the list of all sponsors involved in criminal activities. The alleged disclosure of N7bn linked to a religious group’s account is a matter of grave concern, and citizens demand proper legal action against sponsors and those found complicit in financing activities undermining the nation’s security.
We further call on the EFCC to expedite the release of the list of sponsors and collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure prompt legal actions are taken.”
Regarding the insecurity situation in Plateau State, the SCSN demanded a comprehensive and impartial approach.
