UNACCEPTABLE ACTS OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM ON CHRISTIANS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BY ISLAMIC EXTRIMISTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
The Knights and Ladies of the Catholic Order of Knights of S t. Mulumba, Nigeria, hereby condemns in totality the gruesome murder of a student, Deborah Yakubu by some violent islamic extremists on Thursday, 12 May 2022, at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto. The Order is dismayed and strongly condemns the follow up targetted and unprovoked attacks and vandalism on the Catholic Church by same group protesting the arrest of the barbaric murderers .
The Order bemoans the destruction, vandalism, and carnage visited on the Holy Family Catholic Cathederal and the Bishop Lawton Secretariat on Bello way; the St. Kelvin’s Catholic Church and the New Hospital Complex under construction within the same premises, along the Eastern by-pass; the Bakhita Centre on Aliyu Jodi road; and two community buses razed down.
We recall with great displeasure and pain the several past senseless styled bombings, carnage, destructions, and killings nation wide with particular huge untold losses to the Catholic Church and faith in Nigeria. The agelong illegal confiscation without compensation, conversion, and mismanagement of erstwhile high standard Catholic schools in Northern Nigeria that contributed immensely to the qualitative education and high calibre human capital development across the country, remains perplexing. How can rationality explain this show of love that is consistently repayed by the unfortunate ingratitude in the deliberate and persistent killing and destruction.
The Knights of St. Mulumba, Nigeria, acknowledges Islam as a religion of peace by the informed and knowledgeable Muslim beleivers across the world. Jehad El-Sayed (2018), provides the evidence of protecting Christians’ rights and churches in Islam teritories by firstly establishing through the holy Quran (22:56), religious freedom as a well-known Islamic principle – “There is no compulsion in religion; the right direction is clearly distinguished from the wrong”. The second paragraph of the covenant of Prophet Muhammad with the Assyrian Christians states, “To the followers of Islam I say: Carry out my command, protect and help the Nazarene nation in this country of ours in their own land.” It is only fair and correct to conclude that Islam not only recognizes the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and people of the book as beleivers but also guarantees the protection of Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims who reside in Muslim lands. An Islamic scholar Ibn Khuwaiz, relies on the holy Quran 22:40 to include the prohibition of demolition the churches of non-muslim citizens, their temples, and their houses of worship.
The holy Prophet Muhhamad acknowledges acts of blasphemy in the Holy Quran48:9 “And there came to them a messenger but they mocked at him”, and proceeds in this regard to adher strictly to the directives of the Almighty Allah, “And over look their annoying talk, and put your trust in Allah.” (Quran 33:49), in his examplary response to the insult against Him by Abdullah Ibn Ubay to whom the holy Prophet forgave. The senseless barbaric murderous and violents acts of vandalism and carnage by violent Islamic extremists in sokoto, under whatever guise is not only comdemnable but qualifies such elements as uninformed unbelievers (kafir) of Islam.
The Order commiserates with the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah and commends his matured response in his acknowledgement of the quick intervention by the Governor of Sokoto state, H.E. Alh. Aminu Tambuwal and the security Agencies in the face of these acts of inhumanity. The swift condemnation of these dastardly acts by the Sultan of Sokoto and spiritual head of Muslims in Nigeria, and his call for the security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the unjustifiable incident to book is greatly appreciated.
The Order calls on the Federal Government to move beyond mere comdemnation to activate the following recommendations:
1. Appoint a new minister of Interior and the National security adviser with better efficient hands to commense the recovery of Homeland Security in Nigeria.
2. Overhaul the leadership of the national security architecture to reflect Federal Character with close sectarian balance with emphasis on excellence to arrest the seeming complicity in the insecurity challenges by these agencies.
3. Commence immediate prosecution of the arrested culprits over the murder of Deborah Yakubu, and the carnage and vandalism of the properties of the Catholic Church in Sokoto and any other affected persons and property.
4. Institute a judicial commission of enquiry into the murder of Deborah Yakubu, the carnage and vandalism of the Churches property and all and any others affected in the Sokoto incident, with the view to preventing future reoccurence, bringing to book all culprits, and appropriate compensation by government.
Sir Dr Charles Mbelede,FNSE KSM JP
Supreme Knight.
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