Muslims complain against burning of mosques, attacks on members at little misunderstanding among citizens

*Bishop calls for calm

By KEMI KASUMU

Members of the Muslim Ummah across Nigeria are saying they will no longer tolerate situation where, at slightest misunderstanding between Igbo and Hausa, people of South East of the country descend on Muslims attacking them and burning down their Mosques.

This latest cry came following Saturday October 31, 2020 attacks on Muslims and burning of their ratibi and Jumat mosques in Nsukka, Enugu State in the region.

Some of the faithful, reminded by this incident, are now forced to worry as to what time they would be able to live in peace in a country they also own, as one of them said, “If under a Muslim and Northerner in power, we and our places of worship can continue to be endangered species and focus of attacks and persecution whereas, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will go round the world misrepresenting the true position of things. We suffered under Christian and Southerner in power, for example Obasanjo and Jonathan. Can’t our own in power even stop these evil against us when stopping it is not unconstitutional?” He asked to know.

As at 8.48pm on that date, an eyewitness who also directly felt the impact of the attacks, gave a brief summary of the new development.

She said, “I was informed that what caused the violence was that a Hausa lady entered tricycle (keke) and the Keke driver charged her 250 naira but she insisted she has only 150 naira and then she entered the Keke.

“After getting to her destination (Barracks junction, Nsukka), She gave the Keke man 150 naira and the Keke man insisted that the fare is 250 naira. When she refused to pay the Keke driver now seized her bag and at the process, one of her brothers came out to rescue her. At the process the brother and the Keke driver started fighting and people sorounded them and it was alleged that the keke driver got injured.

“He was then rushed to the hospital and people escalated the news that the keke driver had died. News reaching us is that he is recuperating at Bishop Shanahan hospital, Nsukka.

“However, hoodlums took the advantage of the scenario and started attacking the Muslims around the town. They went to the mosque at old Barracks junction and destroyed it and then went to the Central Mosque Eden road, Nsukka and set it ablaze.

By 8:51pm she returned to the situation room with an update, “We cannot ascertain the number of casualties right now but most of the Muslims have fled from their houses and seeking refuge in various places within the town. Right now, some Muslims are in my house because of fear of being attacked in their own houses.

“This unfortunate incident is happening just barely two weeks after my father’s demise. May Allah protect us from all evil,” the source, who is a lawyer, said.

The DEFENDER reports that two mosques were burned in the Nsukka, Enugu State attacks on Muslims Saturday afternoon, a development an Abuja based radio station Muslim proprietress described as “Very sad and unfortunate.”

Secretary General, Digital Publishers of Nigeria (DPN), Alhaji Bashir Adefaka, in his personal reaction Sunday night, condemned the sad event where, according to him, people seize every little misunderstanding to unleash their religious intolerance on fellow country people.

“At a time that we are doing everything possible to discourage ethno-religious conflict, how come misunderstanding between Hausa and Igbo degenerate to burning mosques? Can this sickness get off Nigerians at all?

“And the lady who jumped into Keke insisting on N150 while the guy charged N250 should have allowed him to go for another one to come. Anyway, generally in the South, we have come to live with the evil our people do towards us in area of wicked hike in prices and fares. Another one is fake news,” he said.

In a statement same day, Diocesan Secretary Chancellor, Diocese of Nsukka in the state, Rev. Fr. Cajetan Iyidobi, asked people not to ever be invited to violence as, he said, Nsukka is a peaceful community.

He confirmed that the misinformation about the Keke operator death and which led to the attacks on Muslims and burning if their Mosques should not have happened as the said operator did not die but even responding to to treatment in hospital.

“Verified information indicates, however, that the Keke operator and the other wounded person are alive and are reported to be responding to treatment.

“”Bishop, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka, there, appeals to all the sides in this agitated situation to remain calm but vigilant.

“He further appeals that people should avoid taking laws into their hands,in order to prevent a further degeneration of an already volatile situation, in the hope that law enforcement agents are handling the matter adequately,” the Deliocese said in the statement.

In the meantime, some Muslims are saying the people of South East should learn from the character of Fellow citizens of Northern extractions, where, inspite of everything, their ethnic and religious interests are always protected in the North.