The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, (NSCIA), has raised the alarm over the killing of Muslims in the South East region by some non-Muslims.
The Council, under the leadership of the President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, also called on security agencies to do more to protect the lives and property of Muslims and bring the perpetrators of such killings to justice. The NSCIA further urged Muslims to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) because evidence revealed that many registered Muslims were yet to do so.
These are contained in a communiqué issued after the special extraordinary meeting of the Expanded General Purpose Committee (EGPC) of the NSCIA that was held last Wednesday in Abuja.
“As Muslims are being profiled and killed in what appears as ethno-religious cleansing in the South-East by some non-Muslims, which is evident in the recent confessions by some individuals, the committee called on security agencies to do more to protect the lives and properties of Muslims and bring the perpetrators of such killings to justice”, the communiqué said. The committee said the eligibility criteria for leadership were too general to the extent that unsuitable people were ultimately getting elected to positions of authority.
At the meeting presided over by the Sultan included several NSCIA most senior members, including many Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs); senior academics; traditional rulers; top executives; other eminent personalities and leaders of Islamic organisations from different parts of the country.
The Council urged the Federal Government to make available financial empowerment opportunities in the country and to tackle poverty and unemployment in society, enjoining Muslims to key into the available opportunities.
The committee expressed serious concern about the general insecurity manifesting in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and ritual killings all over the country. It also called on the federal and state governments to work harder on securing Nigeria from the rampaging criminals, the communiqué added.
