Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, , has condemned in strong terms the killing of a group of innocent Muslims who were returning from Bauchi to Akure Ondo State on Saturday.
The Sultan, in a statement on Sunday by the Director of Administration, NSCIA, Arc. Zubairu Haruna Usman-ugwu, indicated that while affirming the statements of their excellencies, the governors of Plateau and Ondo states, that it was a case of mistaken identity and not particularly intended for the Muslims.
The council appealed to all Muslims to be calm and nobody should take laws into his or her hands.
The statement noted that the council has re-emphasised that no human life deserves to be wasted on any ground be it religious or ethnic.
In the spirit of the Islamic injunction, the Supreme Council quoted Qur’an 49:6 as saying, “O you who have believed! If some transgressors bring you news (that requires taking action), verify it carefully (before you believe and act upon it), lest you harm a people in ignorance and then become regretful for what you have done”.
The Sultan, in the statement, re-assured all peace-loving individuals and groups that appropriate actions would be taken subsequent to a thorough investigation.
In the meantime, as efforts are on to locate the eight missing Muslims, the council urged security agencies to fish out all the perpetrators of the dastardly acts and ensure that adequate justice is done.
The council, however, commiserated with all Muslims, particularly Sheikh Dahiru Banchi, the host of the religious event from which the victims were returning, while praying that Almighty Allah heals the wounded and grant al-Jannah to the departed martyrs.
