The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, says it has documents showing that Muslims are the first victims of the ongoing killings in Southern Kaduna.
Recall that the Southern Kaduna has been enmeshed in crisis following lingering clashes between Fulani herdsmen and local residents.
In a bid to putting an end to the crisis, El-Rufai recently disclosed that his administration had traced some of the herdsmen to neighbouring countries and paid them to stop the killings.
The group in its reaction to the killing alleged that the attack on “Muslim business premises and their families had begun since October 2016.”
In a statement signed by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC Director and made available to DAILY POST, the group frowned at the claims of both CAN and the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan over the killings.
Just recently, the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan had stated that no fewer than 800 persons lost their lives in the recent crisis that broke out in Southern Kaduna.
Describing the allegation of the Christian bodies as a “subtle blackmail,” MURIC said, “We, therefore, take CAN’s allegation of official endorsement of the killings with a pinch of salt. It is subtle blackmail. Why must CAN’s handling of every crisis be clouded in religious profiling? It is high time we started to see our leaders as Nigerians and not as belonging to any particular tribe or faith. Criminals also must be seen from the point of view of their actions and not necessarily associated with their religion or ethnic group. Herdsmen must therefore be called herdsmen and not necessarily tied to the aprons of Muslims or Fulanis.”
The group while calling for caution from all affected stakeholders, stressed that Islam hates violence and “detest blood,” adding that “human life is sacred and nobody has the right to take the life of a fellow human being.”
The statement reads: “The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, condemns these killings. We hate violence. We detest the sight of blood. Human life is sacred and nobody has the right to take the life of a fellow human being.
“MURIC is in possession of documents which proves that Muslims were the first victims of attacks in Southern Kaduna and the attacks which targeted Muslim business premises, homes and families had begun since October 2016. But we will not release the documents yet so that the conflict will not be exacerbate.
“Suffice it to note that security agents have caught some Christians with arms in the area since the conflict began some days ago.
“Nonetheless, we call for caution. We remind all stakeholders that both the Qur’an and the Bible enjoin caution in cases like this. The two scriptures ask mankind to investigate all cases before jumping to conclusions (Qur’an 49:6; 1st Thessalonians 5:21).
“Both the press and the security agencies have questions to answer on the pogrom going on in Southern Kaduna: the press for giving the Nigerian public only one side of the story and the security agencies for allowing the killings to continue unabated. We remind the Federal Government (FG) that the primary duty of government is to protect the citizens’ lives and properties. Article 14 Section 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
The group expressed concern that the “public has been fed with only the Christian side of the story. Justice and fair hearing demands that we hear from the other side.”
It added, “What happened to professionalism on the part of the press? Is hearing from the other side also not part of investigative journalism? Are there no Islamic organizations in Southern Kaduna? What of the Muslim Youth Foundation of Southern Kaduna (MYFOSKA)? Why haven’t they been interviewed?”
The body called on the “Federal Government to flood Southern Kaduna with security personnel.”
It also “welcome the Senate’s decision to probe the Southern Kaduna crisis.”
MURIC urged Muslims in Southern Kaduna to remain calm and law abiding, to refrain from issuing inflammatory statements and to cooperate with security agents posted to the area. We appeal to CAN and the Catholic archdiocese of Kafanchan to douse tension among Christians in Southern Kaduna.”
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