You made Leah Sharibu’s case worse by your unguarded utterances, Oloyede hits CAN

*Says Islamic Council reaching out to Boko Haram for her release

…with promise to secure amnesty for insurgent if Sharibu is released

*Notes efforts of Council on Sharibu makes CAN careless threat painful

*Devilish tactics not compatible with religious responsibilities – Oloye warns clerics

*As Respondents say CAN knows only agitation without solution

*Media use of “Islamic terrorism” unacceptable – Sarafa Ishola

“It is time religious leaders in this country knew that playing politics with religion will amount to serious punishment from God. Most clerics today, manipulate things in their favour, hence disturbing the peace of our society. This is not limited to any religion; it goes to both Christian and Muslim leaders in this country. Look at the Benue crisis, for instance, some religious leaders were quick to relate it to religious war, and this can lead to war. Likewise, the case of Leah Sharibu was also tagged to be a religious issue. All these will not improve, but amount to a crisis in our society,” Oloyede said.

The Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has finally emerged from a long time of silence hitting at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over its statement that there might be a religious war if Leah Sharibu dies in Boko Haram captivity.

Oloyede, apparently unhappy perhaps with CAN’s uncomplimentary attitudes towards peaceful co-existence among religious communities in Nigeria, described unguarded utterances on innocent Leah Sharibu in Boko Haram den by the Christian group as “destructive and counter-productive.”

It will be recalled that CAN President Samson Ayokunle in a statement issued on his behalf by his spokesman, Mr. Adebayo Oladeji, had said: “Leah Sharibu must not die. Her death, God forbids, can spell doom for Nigeria. It can give an open invitation to religious war because Leah is being detained purely because of her religion.”

Now reacting to the statement described even by many Christians of the country as capable of making the Boko Haram people go ahead to kill the little girl to actualize what came from the tongue of the CAN leader, Prof. Oloyede said he was as astonished as the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

According to him, religious leaders should realise that devilish tactics are not compatible with religious responsibilities.

Oloyede spoke at the first Ramadan Lecture organised by the Right Development Limited, publishers of The Point Newspaper at LTV Combo Hall, Ikeja, Lagos.

The theme of the lecture is “Achieving peace, stability and good governance in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society: The Islamic perspective.”

He urged religious leaders to dedicate themselves to the promotion of truth, peace and justice rather than utilising sacred trust for an evil cause, for God does not accept filthy offerings as a genuine sacrifice.

According to professor, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) had reached out to Boko Haram to facilitate the release of Leah Sharibu.

Oloyede, the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), also urged religious leaders to stop promoting crisis in the country.

He said: “Boko Haram has never hidden its mission of setting Nigeria ablaze through a religious war. Whose interest was the call to serve? Definitely, not that of the innocent Nigerian lady, Leah Sharibu. Is it fair, religious or Godly to, for the sake of political grandstanding and publicity-seeking, endangering the life of such a precious, principled and promising Lady?

“I am sure the immediate family members of the lady would not subscribe to such politicisation of the misfortune. The unfortunate abduction of Leah and other girls, both Muslims and Christians, is intensely hurtful to all right-thinking persons. I am aware that the particular case of Leah made the leadership of the NSCIA reach out to all possible channels of reaching the group with a proposal to secure amnesty for the group provided Leah and other girls in captivity are released and the group surrender their arms. This knowledge made the careless threat particularly painful.”

The NSCIA chief scribe expressed regret that religious leaders in the country had derailed from the ways of God.

He enjoined religious leaders in Nigeria to make concerted efforts to properly guide their followers in order to enhance peace and unity of the country.

“It is time religious leaders in this country knew that playing politics with religion will amount to serious punishment from God. Most clerics today, manipulate things in their favour, hence disturbing the peace of our society. This is not limited to any religion; it goes to both Christian and Muslim leaders in this country. Look at the Benue crisis, for instance, some religious leaders were quick to relate it to religious war, and this can lead to war. Likewise, the case of Leah Sharibu was also tagged to be a religious issue. All these will not improve, but amount to a crisis in our society,” he said.

Chairman on the occasion and the Baba Adeen of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Chief Sarafa Tunji Ishola, said the term “Islamic terrorism” used in certain quarters was a misnomer and part of the efforts to paint the Islamic religion in bad light.

Ishola described Islam as a religion of peace, which ensures justice for all human beings.

National Amirah of The Criterion, an association of Muslim Women in Business and Professions, Alhaja Fatimat Oyefeso called for tolerance between religious groups in the country.

This, Alhaja Oyefeso said, will engender peaceful and harmonious society.

According to her, Islam is a complete way of life.  “Just follow its tenets and the world will be peaceful,” she said.