By Abubakar Yunusa
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs(NSCIA )has restated its commitment to peace and national unity, warning that the patience of Muslims should not be taken for granted amid what it described as sustained provocation, marginalisation and attacks on Islam and its adherents.
The council, under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, said its commitment to peace had informed its decision to exercise restraint despite what it called repeated assaults and baseless profiling of Muslims across the country.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, the council said, “Restraint is not cowardice. But there is always a limit to endurance.”
The NSCIA alleged that Muslims were being marginalised in Nigeria’s public space, while some individuals continued to accuse them of oppression and persecution.
According to the council, such allegations were being driven by foreign interests seeking to mislead their evangelical support base, create confusion, incite unrest and ultimately destabilise Nigeria.
The council also criticised comments made by a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria during a recent Channels Television programme, describing the remarks as reckless, baseless and irresponsible.
It argued that the television programme resembled a well-rehearsed drama rather than an interview and said it should have attracted sanctions from relevant government agencies in the interest of national peace and security.
The NSCIA further accused the media and security agencies of ignoring statements capable of provoking retaliation, claiming that Muslim leaders would have faced immediate security action if they had made similar remarks.
The council also faulted allegations by some Christian leaders linking Fulani people to the recent kidnapping in Oyo State.
It maintained that the identities of suspects arrested in Ibadan contradicted such claims, adding that a pastor had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to the council, the response of Arise Television to the development reflected double standards because the incident was reportedly dismissed as unrelated to religion after the suspect was identified as a Christian.
The NSCIA also condemned the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Ardo Risku Muhammad, and his associate, Mallam Yakubu Isah, after a peace meeting in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
It alleged that the killings formed part of a systematic attempt to provoke Muslims and portray them as aggressors.
The council also raised concerns over what it described as the under-representation of Muslims in federal appointments.
It cited the replacement of former minister Adebayo Adelabu as an example, alleging that Muslim office holders were often succeeded by non-Muslims despite the large number of non-Muslims already serving as ministers from southern Nigeria.
The council recalled that during the administrations of General Yakubu Gowon, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Christian-Christian political arrangements did not attract the level of criticism now directed at Muslim-Muslim tickets.
While urging Muslims to remain peaceful, the NSCIA called on the Federal Government and security agencies to act decisively before tensions escalate.
It demanded the immediate prosecution of those responsible for violent attacks in Kaduna and Benue states, warning that failure to ensure justice could encourage anarchy.
The council also called for a thorough investigation into allegations involving police officers accused of handing over a female Muslim scholar for mob attack, as well as officers linked to the invitation of the slain MACBAN chairman before his death.
The NSCIA further urged authorities to halt what it described as persistent public attacks on the integrity of Islam and Muslims, insisting that decisive action was necessary to preserve peace, order and national unity.
“Enough is enough,” the statement added.
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