14th June, 2018
ID AL-FITR MESSAGE:
SET THE 54 SOLDIERS FREE
The Federal Government (FG) has declared tomorrow
Friday 15th June and Monday, 17th June 2018 as holiday to
mark the end of Ramadan 2018 (1439 AH).
The
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) felicitates with the Sultan of Sokoto and
President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA),
Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, CFR, mni on this auspicious
occasion. We also congratulate the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and the entire
Nigerian citizenry for successfully observing this year’s Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan is, essentially, the
month of mercy. Its beginning is a blessing, its middle is for forgiveness
while its end is freedom. A fortiori, MURIC reminds President Muhammadu Buhari
of the plight of the 54 soldiers who were imprisoned for refusing to fight Boko
Haram insurgents with poor weapons.
They
were sentenced to life imprisonment ab initio before the sentence was
commuted to ten years imprisonment. MURIC sees the 54 soldiers as
whistle-blowers, not criminals because they actually exposed the $2.1 billion
arms fraud. It is a sad paradox that while other whistle-blowers are being
rewarded, the 54 soldiers are languishing in jail. This is frustrating.
In the spirit of
the forgiveness and freedom which the middle and end of Ramadan stand for, we
appeal to Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria to, in exercise of the prerogative of mercy, grant
presidential pardon to the 54 soldiers.
We call on civil society, particularly anti-corruption
crusaders to speak out for the 54 soldiers. We also remind state governors and state
chief judges to use the occasion to visit prisons in their states with a view
to setting free a large number of inmates particularly those awaiting trial.
Finally, we charge Nigerian Muslims to use the occasion of
the Id Al-Fitr to pray fervently for President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the
Nigerian nation. Prayer points should include divine protection for PMB,
triumph over all forces lined up against him and another four-year tenure of peace,
prosperity and progress.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC)
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