11th June, 2021
PRESS
RELEASE:
IGANGAN : MURIC CONDEMNS ALL KILLINGS
The
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organisation, has
condemned the spate of killings in the country, including the most recent one
in Igangan, Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State. The group also called
on Nigerians to stop the vicious cycle of killings and kidnappings.
The
director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made this known in a press release
issued on Friday, 11th June, 2021.
The statement reads:
“We are horrified by the spate of killings in all parts of Nigeria. Just
as we condemn the most recent one in Igangan, Ibarapa Local Government Area of
Oyo State which occurred on Sunday, 6th June, 2021, we equally
denounce the killing which preceded it in the same Igangan a few months ago.
Not only that, we decry all other killings and kidnappings around the country. We
reject all forms of violence.
“As a national organisation
with members spread across all parts of the country, MURIC must objectively look
at the broad spectrum of killings and condemn all. We cannot treat one act of criminality
in isolation and ignore others as if those killed in those areas are not human
beings. That will be selective, parochial and myopic. We therefore berate all
killings. We decry all forms of violence. That is why our motto is ‘Dialogue,
Not Violence’.
“In particular, we strongly condemn the killing of policemen and
soldiers in some parts of the country. Those who target security agents for
killing can never succeed in enthroning orderly civilisation. They are simply
opening the doors for criminalities of all ramifications and installing a reign
of terror.
“Every Nigerian life is
precious to us in MURIC. We hurt and grieve when people of Eastern Nigeria are
killed. We feel the pain when those of the South West lose their lives to
violence. Our hearts bleed when people of the Middle Belt get hurt and we mourn
when Northerners are killed. It does not matter to us whether those who died
are Christians or Muslims. Life is sacred. It is precious. Every human being
deserves to live in peace and dignity.
“We call attention to the national spread and ‘federal character’ of the
violence that has engulfed Nigeria in recent time. There is ample evidence that
it is not limited to any particular region, state or tribe. It has been
all-embracing. Just as bandits and cattle rustlers pound us in the North,
gunmen ravage our land in the South East and South West.
“This phenomenon was predicted in the Glorious Qur’an 30:41 when the
sacred book says, ‘Mischief has appeared on both land and sea as a result of
the handiworks of men’.
“What we are saying in essence is that the killings are not limited to
the recent one in Igangan. Bandits are killing hundreds in Zamfara, Kaduna,
Sokoto, etc. For example, just yesterday, 10th June, 2021, Governor
El-Rufai of Kaduna State expressed the fear that there may be famine in the
state very soon as a result of the criminal activities of herdsmen which has
forced farmers to abandon the farms.
“It is therefore misleading to jump to the conclusion that one region is
out to eliminate or dominate any particular region. That is why we must eschew the
insurrectionist agenda springing up in the South East and South West. We must
all come together to fight the violent elements invading our communities.
“The way forward lies in the
hands of the state governors as the hands of the Federal Government are full fighting
Boko Haram insurgents. It is an open secret that governors receive huge amounts
of money monthly as security vote. They should spend this money on securing
their territories by establishing and empowering local security outfits.
“It is in this regard that we
commend those governors who have instituted one form of local vigilante group
or another. However, the governors should followup this establishment with
empowerment. It is not enough to recruit just five hundred securitymen for a
whole state. Cities are conquered by numbers. Therefore, the governors should
recruit thousands of Amotekun, EbebuAgu, Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) and
others and arm them to the teeth in order to enable them tackle all criminals. Criminal
herdsmen and bandits must be dealt with according to the law in Kaduna, Ondo,
Sokoto, Enugu, Ekiti, etc.
“Above all, we must realise that no amount of preparation to defend our
territories can be as effective as consciously working for peace and seeking
harmony. Nigerians must change their mindset. Our problem is perception. Every
tribe suspects the other. Every region nurses grudges against the other. The
myth of the North-South dichotomy has congealed into such a thick reality that
one can cut it with a knife.
“We therefore appeal to all to
embrace the current peace efforts of elder statesmen. Nigerians of all
ethnicities must stop looking for revenge. Vengeance is nothing but a launching
pad for a vicious cycle. Those who revenge murder sleep. They shall sleep no
more. This is because revenge is a cold dish that compels the victims to warm
its contents. Vengeance is a square peg in a round hole. What you seek is not
exactly what you get. Besides, you only know your own heroes and fighters
whereas every tribe has its own campions and heroes. Killings can only beget
killings.
“This is why the Glorious Qur’an advocates the repelling of evil with
righteousness. ‘Goodness and evil are incomparable. Pay evil with goodness and
see how your erstwhile enemy transforms to an intimate friend’ (Qur’an 41:34). Allah
is called the Mighty, the Avenger (‘aziizun dhul intiqaam, Qur’an
3:4). In the same vein, the Bible teaches forgiveness, ‘Forgive, that you may
be forgiven. For if you do not forgive, neither will your Father, which is in
heaven’ (Mathew 6:14). There will be enduring peace if both Christians and
Muslims follow these teachings instead of seeking a pound of flesh from one
another.
“Now a look at the highlights of our advocacy: MURIC
condemns the killing of one another by Nigerians, particularly the two separate
killing sessions in Igangan and the killing of policemen. Life is sacred. The
killings are happening everywhere: North and South. They have a national spread
and they are not targeted at any particular group or tribe. State governors
must establish security outfits while existing ones like Amotekun, EbebuAgu and
JTF must be armed to the teeth. Nigerians must stop seeking vengeance against
one another otherwise the vicious cycle of violence will not stop.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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