As Nigeria battle spate of banditry, kidnapping, farmer/herder clashes and agitation for secession, Muslim Council of Nigeria (MCON) has identified rule of law application as solution to the myriads of security challenges facing the country.
As it celebrates the new Islamic year, Hijrah 1443 on Sunday, MCON, an umbrella body of over 70 Islamic organisations, lamented that Nigeria is sick.
It said the security challenges ravaging the country were being promoted by policy of inequality before the law and failure to apply prescribed punishments in accordance with the laws of the land on perpetrators of injustice and crimes in the country.
Speaking at the event in Kaduna on Sunday, President of the Council, Alhaji Liadi Olapade, decried a situation where some people are given cover when they commits crime or promotes evil, while suggesting recourse to the law as solution.
“Banditry and other form of criminalities being witnessed in the country are being promoted by the fact that there is no even handedness in the way we do our things.
“To every offence, there must be punishment prescribed in our laws, this must be meted to whoever transgresses. But where some people are given a cover when they do anything, it promotes that particular evil. So, our leaders must ensure they enforce all the laws and ensure that laws are drawn in such a way that, everyone will consider it fair.
“It should not be laws that will apply to one section and not apply to the other, everybody must be equal before the law. We have laws, but we don’t allow them to work. And in a society where laws are not obeyed, there is bound to be people who will fill the space with evil. That is the crux of our problem,” he said.
According to the MCON President, security and stability are sine-qua-non to the progress of any society.
He therefore called on the Muslim community to pray for those leading the country to be just and fair in their leadership responsibilities.
The Chief Imam of the Council, Sheikh Al-Imam Ahmad Aluko, said Nigeria is seriously sick and needs all hands to be on the deck to steer the country out of the myriad of challenges. He however prayed to God to heal the country and its people, free all the people in captivity and protect those who are free against bandits’ and kidnappers’ attack.
Guest lecturer at the event, Sheikh Muhammad Soliu Muhammad Raji who spoke on ‘Roles of Muslims in Restoring Peace’ argued that Nigerian leaders are confused and don’t know what is happening.
He however cautioned against blaming the leaders, urging those engaged in blame game to instead support the leaders to find solution to the challenges bedeviling Nigeria.
“Some people are only criticising the leaders because they don’t have the opportunity to get there and steal. We should all ask how have we offended God? We should all have pure mind. Good people are those that believe in God but many people don’t truly believe in God. Those engaging in evil activities claimed to believe in Allah but they don’t.
“We should all believe there is the last day when we would all stand in front of Allah, if He should probe us deep He would find many of us wanting,” he said.
Three zonal imams were turbaned at the event, while 11 notable Muslims were presented with merit awards at the event for their contributions to the propagation of Islam.
MCON who had earlier visited the Correctional Center in Kaduna to present the inmates with gifts, also held an Arabic and Islamic quiz competition with Madu Sakhofat Islamic School, Kakuri placing first, as Ummul Khair Islamic School Kaduna came second, while Ansar-ud-Deen Arabic and Islamic School was third.
