Book Haram: Sultan Assures On Nigeria's Stability

*As Aregbesola Urges FG To Stop Tolerating Boko Haram

  Despite myriads of reactions trailing the continued insurgency on the Nigeria state, particularly in the Northern parts of the country by the Boko Haram Islamist sect

, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa'ad III has assured that the country would soon witness peace and stability.

 
The Sultan, while condemning the spate of recent bombings across the country shortly after attending a Stakeholders' security meeting, revealed that leaders across the country have resolved to ensure permanent solution to the worrisome crises.

 
'We condemned these activities and we just had an excellent meeting with Mr. President on the state of the nation and the way forward. I'm sure things will be back to normal Insha Allahu soon in this country. We are doing our best. We should have fear of God in whatever we do, move closer to God and fear God.'

 
 Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), while urging security agencies to wake up to their constitutional responsibilities, which include protecting innocent Nigerians from attacks orchestrated by terrorist groups like Boko Haram, had on Monday charged Christians to defend themselves against violent attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

 
The association, in a statement captioned: 'Can Nigeria Survive A Religious War,' signed by its Secretary-General, Elder Saidu Dogo and made available to Huhuonline.com in Kaduna said 'We shall henceforth in the midst of these provocation and wanton destruction of innocent lives and property be compelled to make our own efforts and arrangements to protect the lives of innocent Christians and peace loving citizens of this country. We are therefore calling on all Christians to be law abiding but defend themselves whenever the need arises.'

 
'The Nigerian nation and indeed the Christian community in Nigeria and particularly those of us in the Northern part of the country witnessed yet another dark Sunday when Islamic fundamentalist in the North rained terror on innocent, peace-loving and harmless Christian worshippers on Christmas day at St Theresa's Catholic Church, Madalla , Niger State, and Mountain of fire and Miracle Church in Jos.

 
"Reports reaching us also indicate similar attacks in Damaturu the Yobe State capital. In these attacks, over hundred innocent souls were killed. We appreciate the efforts of the Federal Government and its security agents in trying to curtail these attacks. However we are piqued that the efforts of Government are being undermined by the sponsors of the Islamic Fundamentalists in the North. We are particularly disturbed that the perpetrators of these dastardly acts and their sponsors are well known to government and no serious or decisive actions have been taken to stem their nefarious activities.

 
Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged that Boko Haram had unleashed terror attacks on Christians during Sunday's Christmas, to spark off a Muslims/Christians war nationwide as well as to avenge Muslim killings in Jos during the last Eid El Kabir.

 
President of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) and former Boko Haram peace mediator under the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Malam Shehu Sani revealed that 'The Boko Haram Christmas bomb attack on the Church in Madalla was meant to achieve three things. First is to lure the Muslims in the North is to believe that it's a deadly action to avenge the killings of Muslims in Jos during the last Eid El Kabir festivities. Secondly is to spark off a nationwide Muslim and Christian civil war and thirdly to send a message in the most despicable way that the security onslaught against them in the North East can't diminish their ability to strike.'

 
'Bombing of worship centres and gruesome killing of innocent lives will lead to either the Somali or the Sudanese situation. Nigeria is truly being faced with serious and deadly Islamic guerrilla insurgency. Nigeria's security forces lack the intelligence and training to handle such issues. Decades of petty corruption in the police force has made the force docile and complacent to handle such modern challenges of insurgency.

 
'Northern leaders and clerics could have been at the best position to intercede and end the menace but most of them have lost the moral high ground and respect because of their silence or complicity in the mass extra judicial killing of the Boko Haram group leader in 2009. The Boko Haram violence is not insurmountable. It is simply continuing because the federal government and defence and security entrepreneurs feel they can do it alone, 'he disclosed.

 
However, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has called on the federal government to stop tolerating the Boko Haram sect, saying that 'The Christmas day bombing in Madalla, Niger State by the Boko Haram sect is a sad, irresponsible and condemnable act which had no justification of any type in the name of Islam.'

        
Aregbesola, the first annual conference of the Nasrul-lahi-l- Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), in Osogbo, Osun state said, 'no genuine, honest and sincere Moslems should accept the activities of Boko Haram in the name of Islam', adding that 'even under a state of war time, women children and even corpses were protected by combatants.'

       
"Time has come for Moslems and indeed NASFAT as the most educated and  organised Islamic organization to urgently convene a national summit where the meaning and implications of Jihad in a modern state like Nigeria will be spelt out.

       
'This national summit, should involve Islamic scholars, leaders and groups drawn across the country and NASFAT is the most appropriate body to carry out this task in view of its large followership that cuts across Nigeria.'

       
He therefore warned that if NASFAT and other Islamic groups failed to carry out this task to urgently address the issue, the outrageous acts of the Boko Haram sect would rub off negatively on Islam and Muslims.