How Sultan of Sokoto, Sarkin Kano, held Muslims together against provocations by US, CAN reports

By Kemi Kasumu

As further display of love of Allah for the peace, unity and development of Nigeria, each time those undesirous of peace of the country strike by their act, He always provides coincidence of opportunity to save the situation from degenerating beyond control.

This has been described as big thing achieved by Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) camping programmes, ongoing, by Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) at its two major branches known as A-Zone (North) and B Zone (South West).

The two Islamic campings’ opening ceremonies afforded His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and Leader of Muslims in Nigeria, the opportunity to pass his message, which saved Nigeria from what could have been adverse effect of what has been generally considered to be false report of allegations by United States of America putting the sovereign nation on watch list of religion persecution.

The US’ intent is that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, an allegation readily grabbed and backed by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) insinuating that the persecution vindicates it in its yet to be substantiated claims that the government of the day has an agenda of Islamisation and Northernisation of the country.

Without pretending, the over 100 million Nigerian Muslims are visibly angry that CAN operates in connivance with foreign agents to use religious provocations as a tool to cause chaos with intent to destabilise Nigeria.

This is clear, not only to the leadership of the Ummah, but also has been acknowledged by some other Christian groups who wonder whether the President of CAN was informed before statements credited to him as issued by his spokesman was let loose into the public.

Exonerating the Christian leading body, CAN, has however been ruled out following its insistence in a Friday newspaper report that “we stand by our position”. The CAN did this in yet another reaction to a short response on Wednesday and Thursday in Kano and Ibadan, respectively, by Sultan of Sokoto debunking the CAN-amplified US’ report as false.

If there has been any persecution of Christians anywhere either in the North or South, CAN President would have reported it at interfaith meetings of Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and no such report was ever given, especially as NIREC just held one of its meetings where both faith groups including CAN agreed with Muslim Ummah on issues of national concern and resolutions were reached, The DEFENDER gathered.

More annoying, according to our Lagos sources on Friday, was an added injury by CAN that Muslim leaders in Nigeria live in denials, giving impression that they see persecution of Christians but claim not to see.

The mode of reactions and approval of the false US’ report, we gathered, has now exposed CAN as major ally in conspiracy with which America or any of foreign destabilizing agents plot to collapse Nigeria at all cost, by using religion, after their politics and ethnicity approaches have since failed with successes the Africa’s most populous nation achieved in the 2019 general elections, despite all the prophecies of doom well publicised to cause apprehensions in the land.

A respondent that spoke to our correspondent in Lagos said, “You should not forget the pre-2019 election coalition in which this same CAN conspicuously played negative roles. Don’t also forget how, standing on issues of clear economic reason in Benue, Christian Association of Nigeria staged nationwide religious protests that, though, failed at every attempt, during which their members openly campaigned against election of a Muslim or Fulani born President.

“It was because CAN failed in it that National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF) came up with the likes of TY Danjuma and Zamani Lekwot boastfully being presented in a foremost newspaper as Retired Christian Generals. Funny enough, what they claimed to be religious they later turned to ethnicity as the same Christian Elders’ were found collaborating with ethnic nationalities in Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo/Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and some remnants of Northern elements they termed Northern Elders Forum and Middle-Belt Forum who, in the buildup to the presidential elections, heated the polity. Some Western and European nations including America that is now suddenly playing holier than thou quickly keyed into the anti-Nigeria plots but were all twarted by resilience of the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

“So, only the insincere will deny knowledge that placing Nigeria on watch list of nations on religious persecution is an intensified effort being made by America to set the largest black nation against itself like it did to Libya, Syria, Iraq and the rest so that it will be the one to quickly come thereafter, offering itself as peace maker,” he said, warning the CAN and other agents like Omoyele Sowore, Deji Adeyanju and others accepting themselves to be used against their only country to be careful.

CAN, he said, is operating as an NGO thereby always preoccupied itself with criticisms of Islam and intolerance with Muslims and, as a result, not in any distance from being partof the cause of problems facing Nigeria due to its lack of cooperation with interfaith approach to ensuring national peace and unity.

In the meantime, Muslims, who are seen to be pushed to the defensive as intended by the authors and planners of the unpatriotic game, have been called upon to remain calm and not allow any provocation “whatsoever” emanating from the plots as displayed by America and CAN to make them take arms against their fellow country men and women.

This was the core message the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, accompanied by Emir of Kano, seized the opportunities afforded him by those Islamic programmes to pass across, doing this at a time when Nigerians in diaspora reunited with their families at home for the 2019 Christmas holiday, so that no one would be left out of reach by the message.

While even the people that are purveyors of the false allegations of Christian persecution are living in the comfort of their abode having pushed their provocative messages to the nation’s public, these Muslim leaders restlessly moved from Sokoto to Kano and from there to Ibadan and from Ibadan, Oyo State and then to Lagos, where, joined Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and other prominent members of the Republic at the Opening Ceremony of 34th National Qur’anic Competition, held at Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere on Friday, they reiterated their insistence on the fact that, Allah did not make mistakes putting together those who are Nigerians.

On these occasions, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, mni, CFR, LL.D, enjoined Nigerian Muslims to be peaceful and refused to be provoked to take up arms to fight over any issue or comment made by anybody in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said Sultan Abubakar, who spoke on Islamic Law and the Nigerian Constitution at the MSSN event before finally coming to Lagos, said: “We must not take up arms over any issue or anybody.

“We must never try to fight, we must not enforce our rights on anything. But we as leaders, all of us as leaders, we will look at ways of getting our rights from the government.

“So never be provoked; don’t let any comment or any report from anywhere provoke you into taking up arms to fight.

“Why?, because that is what they want us to do to destabilise Nigeria. We will not destabilise Nigeria as Muslims. We will walk as Islam orders us to do.

“And In-shaa Allah, we will build a better Nigeria where Muslims are allowed to wear the hijab anywhere and at any time.”

The Sultan emphasised the need for Muslims to remain calm over any issue concerning their faith.

“Like I said, Almighty Allah will protect His religion, He will protect the Qur’an, His book.

“We will do our own part by remaining peaceful, by always abiding by the laws of our land.

“We are always talking to our leaders, especially the political leaders, on what should be done and what ought not to be done,” the Sultan said.

On his part, Muhammad Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, urged Muslims to ensure that their wards get education.

The Chairman of the Emirate of Kano said this would reduce illiteracy, poverty and social vices.