The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called out the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force for not inviting Muslim cleric, Ustaz Abubakar Salihu Zaria over his alleged inciting statements in a viral video.
National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf of the group, noted that Zaria threatened to carry out reprisals on Christians over the recent cruel and brutal killing of scores of Muslim travelers in Jos by unknown gunmen.
He reportedly said in the viral video;
“I am the one speaking, I am Alkali Abubaka Salihu Zaria.
“I swear to God almighty, if such ever occur again, there are Christians in Kaduna State, there are Christians in Zamfara State, there are Christians in Sokoto, there are in Katsina, Kebbi, there are Christians in Gombe, Damaturu and Yobe and there are major roads. We will also block the roads and waylay Christian commuters.”
Alkali Abubaka Salihu Zaria was also accused of saying that the life of a Muslim is worth more than that of 100 Christians.
The group asked if security forces including the Nigerian Police were waiting for the threats to be fully executed before it can take any lawful measure to bring the said religious preacher to justice.
HURIWA also asked the DSS to explain to Nigerians why it invited the Edo State-based Christian leader Pastor Suleiman and the Enugu State based Catholic Priest Fr. Ejike Mbaka, when they individually made innocuous statements which in the estimation of DSS were damaging to National Security but same DSS has gone mute upon hearing an Islamic Cleric allegedly making threats against Christians.
Noting that the President through his Media minders had attacked Rt. Reverend Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese for reportedly criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s silence to the killings of Christians by armed Islamists in the North of Nigeria, they asked why the President and his attack dogs have kept mute to this threat against Christians by the Islamic Cleric.
The statement read;
“There is consternation and shock that such a seditious video could have been made by a so-called religious leader threatening to carry out reprisals on Christians over the recent cruel and brutal killing of scores of Muslim travelers in Jos by unknown gunmen. Yet, for nearly three days, the Department of State Services (DSS) has overlooked the sensational and violence-prone video.
“Can we honourably remind the hierarchy of the DSS as they prefer to be identified, that the specific institution known as state security services is a creation of the Nigerian law and therefore the operatives are to serve all Nigerians equally and must never present themselves as either Islamic Police or political police but a national policing institution.
“We hereby ask them to invite the said Islamic Cleric to say what he knows about a future plot to kill Christians in Northern Nigeria should any Moslem be killed by hoodlums in Plateau State and also find out why he classified Plateau State citizens all of whom have one religion or the other as infidels. These inciting comments and the inaction of either the Nigerian Police Force or the DSS are dangerous.
“We, hereby, ask them to invite the said Islamic cleric to say what he knows about a future plot to kill Christians in Northern Nigeria, should any Muslim be killed by hoodlums in Plateau State, and also find out why he classified Plateau State citizens, all of who have one religion or the other, as infidels. These inciting comments and the inaction of either the Nigerian Police Force or the DSS are dangerous.”
