11th July, 2025
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC LAUDS SOLUDO FOR
VINDICATING FULANI, FINGERS HIM AS FUTURE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said
majority of the kidnappings and killings in Anambra and other South-East states
are not committed by Fulanis as widely believed but by criminals among the Igbo
people.
Reacting to this, a faith-based advocacy and human rights group, the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has commended the governor for being forthright.
The organisation also identified him as one possessing the right qualities of a
future Nigerian president.
MURIC spoke via a statement issued on Friday, 11th July,
2025 by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads:
“The Governor of
Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said majority of the kidnappings and
killings in Anambra and other South-East states are not committed by Fulanis as
widely believed but by criminals among the Igbo people.
“The governor stated this during an interactive town hall meeting with
Anambra Indigenes in the Diaspora. The programme was held at the Metro Points
Hotel in New Carrollton, Maryland, United States of America.
“In his own words, Soludo said, ‘99.99 per cent of kidnappers and
other criminals arrested in the state since I assumed office three years ago
have been Igbos’ (https://punchng.com/igbo-criminals-not-fulani-herdsmen-behind-south-east-killings-soludo/).
“This is a landmark
declaration. It is indeed an eye-opener for all those who have been following
the unfortunate incidents of kidnappings and killings in the South East. We
give kudos to Governor Soludo for this honest assertion. It is bold, deep and
far-reaching.
“For refusing to dance to the gallery and for hitting the nail on the
head without caring whose ox is gored, Soludo has proved that he is a Nigerian-president-in-the-waiting.
“This incident
has demystified the myth of the Fulani criminal which is more often than not
bandied about among gullible Nigerians to stigmatise the Fulani race. On the
contrary, we have always maintained that crime has no ethnicity, no religion.
Criminals are available everywhere but many Southerners have been misled into
believing that every kidnapping or killing committed in the region can only be
traced to Fulanis.
“MURIC urges other governors, traditional rulers and community leaders
in the region to follow the good example of Governor Soludo by speaking out on
this subject. We must reject stereotypes. We must treat fellow Nigerians only
on the basis of what we owe the rest of humanity, namely, openness, love and
kindness.
“Soludo comes
across as a suitable candidate for Aso Rock in the near future. Genuine national
healing can only come under the leadership of a completely detribalized leader
like Chukwuma Soludo. He speaks truth to his people and refuses to listen to sycophants.
“Instead of exhibiting disappointment and bitterness towards Governor
Soludo for his frankness, we advise the Igbo people to rally round the
governor. The South east is in dire need of a leader who is respected
nationwide. Soludo has earned that nationwide respect through good governance
and also with this Fulani-related incident.
“This is an indubitable presidential material that the Igbos must nurture
to maturity. To us, anyone who has the capacity to accommodate all ethnicities
and all faiths is a great asset. Soludo is a treasure without measure.
“As we take a break, we charge people of other parts of the country to
eschew their anti-Fulani prejudice. Innocent Fulanis have been attacked and
killed in some parts of the country. Men of conscience should pause and reflect
over the killings and profiling of innocent men and women simply because they
belong to a particular race or religion. We must allow good reasoning and
objectivity to dictate our actions, not sentiment, not emotion, not perception.”
#KudosGovernor Soludo
#FulaniNotCriminals
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
No comments:
Post a Comment