You Must Stop Southern Kaduna Killings – Sultan Urges Fg, Kaduna State

SAN FRANCISCO, January 02, (THEWILL) – The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar has urged the Federal Government and the Kaduna State government to urgently stop the crisis in Southern Kaduna.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Administration NSCIA, Ustaz Christian Isa Okonkwo, where the Sultan condemned what he called the “ongoing unjust, heinous and dastard acts of destructions of lives and properties in Southern Kaduna.”

Okonkwo quoted the Sultan as expressing sadness that over 800 people were reportedly killed while about 57 others have suffered life-threatening injuries.

He quoted a verse in the Holy Qur'an which states: “If anyone slew a person, unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief on the land, his punishment would be as if he slew humanity as a whole and if anyone saved a life, his reward would be as if he saved the lives of humanity as a whole. (Quran 5: 32)”

“The NSCIA denounces these events in its entirety particularly because they run contrary to fundamental Islamic law which ordains human life to be sacred and strongly forbids its unlawful destruction except for a just course,” Okonkwo said.

“The NSCIA would like the Federal and Kaduna State governments to go a step further by proffering lasting solutions to these recurrent acts of hatefulness and savagery in Southern Kaduna. We also wish to call on the Federal government to objectively investigate the matter and prosecute whoever that is found guilty irrespective of the person's tribe, creed and/or social status,” he said.

“NSCIA urges all Nigerians to continue to promote justice, preach, teach and live in peace with one another, and not to allow themselves be used by forces of evil which may hide behind tribal, political or even religious disguise order to perpetrate evils.”

Story by Oputah David