Rivers mosque demolition: Northern youths urged to resist religious crisis

Coalition of Northern Youth Groups (CNYG) has urged Northern youths across the country, to resist attempts to use them to stir religious crisis in Nigeria, over alleged demolition of a Mosque in Port Harcourt, by Governor Nyesom Wike.


Convener of the Coalition, Comrade Mohammed Sanni, told a World press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday that the allegation was not only false and misleading, but was intended to draw religious ire. 
“The recent wild rumor of an alleged demolition of a mosque located at Trans Amadi Road, GRA, Rivers state is intended to stir political tension and widen the chasm of national division, which rather requires healing and bonding at this point in time.


“We have observed with patriotic disenchantment the worrisome trend of some politicians capitalizing on falsehood to fan the furnace of ethnic, religious or regional division, just for self serving and fiendish gains, while endangering the collective goodwill and peace.

We immediately swung into action on hearing the disturbing news and conducted an on the spot visit to the said location and our findings are very contrary to the falsehood being peddled. 
“A diligent assessment of the location showed that, even though structures were demolished around that area, none of such structures was or is a mosque building. On further interaction, with residents and the Muslim community in the area, we gathered that, the said location being labelled as a mosque building belongs to an individual who was building his  personal structure without government approval. 
“The said fellow had gone ahead to erect a foundation on the site ostensibly to wade off government action, he thereafter proceeded to unilaterally label the location as a mosque. Further findings led us to the clear revelation that the matter has been properly addressed by the relevant courts and the government was acting within the precincts of the law. 


“If the property owner has/had any issue of contention, the courts were and are still open to address his grievances rather than resorting to inflaming the polity with tense religious passions. Available statistics on religious tolerance clearly shows that the Governor of River state is far ahead of others and as such his name and person should not be dragged to such issue all in the name of painting him black before our Northern brother’s and sisters. 
“We have seen the gusto with which political horse traders and religious alarmists have taken the matter and have therefore deemed it of prime importance to address our youth throughout the North and also those resident in Port Harcourt to remain calm and maintain the peace as we are still in wide consultations. 


“We wish to assure our brothers from the South that, they can and should go about their businesses within the Northern states peacefully and confidently, as we have commenced a series of proper sensitization of our youths,” Sanni said.

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