By KEMI KASUMU
“All of you saying Northern Muslims are bad and barbaric have forgotten that a Northern Fulani Muslim, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, saved the lives of hundreds of Christians on June 23, 2018. Am I lying?”
Former Social Media Aide to the President, during the Administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri, has frowned at attitude of some Nigerians, whose stock in trade it is to paint Northerners and Muslims in bad light misdeeds of an individual amidst.
On his social media platform named “Build Up Nigeria”, Omokri called attention of such people to numerous good sides of Northerners, particularly, Fulani Muslims towards Christians and members of other tribes in the country.
Although Omokri, until a couple of years back, was a major critic of President Muhammadu Buhari painting anything about the Northern Fulani President in bad light, he has lately been seeing Nigeria from broader point of view with his fight for unity and peaceful co-existence among people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds in the country, as indicated in his latest release.
Pastor Omokri said: “All of you saying Northern Muslims are bad and barbaric have forgotten that a Northern Fulani Muslim, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, saved the lives of hundreds of Christians on June 23, 2018. Am I lying?”
In his reaction to jungle justice that happened in Sokoto’s school killing Deborah Yakubu, he gave an enlightenment interpreted as to say criminality neither has tribe nor practices any religion, but that when an act of criminality has been committed, it should be treated as such as against slamming it on religion or tribe of the criminal.
“A few days ago, 2 alleged thieves were set ablaze and killed in Lagos. Please Google it. Till today, we still do not know if they were guilty. How many of us blamed all Lagosians? Or Southerners? Many people even hailed the act on social media. Please do not take my word for it. Investigate what I am saying.
“3 suspected armed robbers were also set ablaze and killed in Calabar on April 30, 2022. Was that not a barbaric act? So, why did you not blame Southern Christians? After all, Calabar, where it happened, is a Christian enclave dating back to Mary Slessor in the 1800s.
“Deborah’s murder over alleged blasphemy is condemnable. However, do not get carried away. Mind your utterances. Let us blame the perpetrators, not Muslims and Northerners. There are good and bad people in every religion and region. Face the bad people, not their religion or region!” Pastor Reno Omokri said.
As at the time of filing this report, Omokri posted Hausa version of Deborah’s voice note with a promise to post the translation later:
https://youtu.be/ZEoLXy40sn8
Reno Omokri posted on his BUILD UP NIGERIA
