Stop Blaming A Tribe For Nigeria's Insecurity- Sultan Of Sokoto Tells Nigerians

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has called on Nigerians to unite behind the government in its efforts to rid the country of its security challenges rather than continue to wail and blame a particular tribe for being responsible for it.

The leader of Muslims in the country conselled Nigerians to epitomise unconditional patriotism that would prompt them to feel obliged to correct things that are wrong in the society, saying “it is important for us to be courageous and expose those behind unlawful and criminal activities in the society.”

Speaking on Saturday at the commissioning of Sheikh Idress Faazazi Morgaji Central Mosque in Iwo, Osun State, the Sultan pilloried those saying that one ethnic group brought insecurity to Yorubaland as such notion could cause palpable enemity among the ethnic groups and consequently affect the nation’s peace and unity.

 Abubakar who spoke through the Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Prof. Dawud Noibl, maintained that those engaging in criminal activities in Yorubaland could not operate successfully without the collaboration of the natives and local people.

The Sultan said: “Some people in Yorubaland must surely cooperate with those involving in kidnapping and others social vices to succeed. Foreign criminals don’t know how to move around without the assistance of the insider. They are given accommodation and they are also supplied food.

“Some Yoruba people must be giving the evil perpetrators the moral support to describe the area where the families of victims can pick them after collecting their ransom.

He advised Imams to use their position to change the mindset of the people from bad behaviour to doing the will of God.

Maintaining that mosques are owned by Allah, he advised that  Muslims must pray together without any form of discrimination, irrespective of colour, tribe or nationality.

He said: “The Prophet, Muhammad, (SAW) has told us that who ever builds a mosque on earth for worship of Allah, Allah will build a house for he/she in paradise. It is a reminder for us that we should not focus only on earthly materials. We should also prepare for our end in the above after which we go to paradise.”

This follows agitations by prominent figures and groups in the South West for the federal government to declare Fulani herders believed to fomenting trouble in the region and kidnapping people for ransom, as a terrorist group and order a military crackdown on them.

Recall that Yoruba interest group, the Aare Onakakanfo Council, also two weeks ago threatened a reprisal attack on the herders.

The group, led by famous traditionalist, Gani Adams, charged the federal government to immediately step into the security concerns raised against the Fulanis to foreclose a large-scale security problem which will arise if it decides to retaliate.

The Council, which listed in a communique, major hideouts of Fulanis across the six states in the region, stressed that the Yoruba people have now been pushed to the breaking point and are ready to fight back in efforts to stop the massive plundering, killings and kidnappings.