The Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has called on security agencies in the country to be fair and professional in the discharge of their duties.
Oloyede who gave the advice while delivering a keynote address at the Ninth Ramadan Lecture of Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) in Abuja on Sunday, described the security situation in the country as serious and lamented that Muslims are at the receiving end as they have been labelled as insurgents and terrorists.
The Islamic leader said Muslims in Nigeria are for peace as long as there was justice and fairness from the leaders in the country.
“Muslims are not responsible for the violence in the country. Muslims are for peace. If there is any problem, it is a failure on the system”, he said.
Oloyede said Muslims in the country were shortchanged in the scheme of things as some of the activities of the security agencies were anti-Islam.
The NSCIA scribe said there “can not be peace without justice. Our appeal is that Federal Government should be just to all segments”.
He cited instances where many innocent Muslims were harassed, arrested and detained on the flimsy excuses of islamic identity of having semblance of that of terrorists.
While condemning the spate of violence in the country,he said Muslims are equally victims and .are more affected in the terrorist acts.
Oloyede said in the spirit of the theme of the lecture “Peace and Leadership: The Missing Link”, there should be more consultation and dialogue among the stakeholders in the country.
Speaking on the theme of the lecture, the guest speaker, Prof. Musa Abdur-Raheem said that, for peace to reign, there must be justice.
“Boko Haram are not representing Islam, Muslims are for peace and most of the victims of Boko Haram attacks are Muslims” he said.
He therefore called on the leaders in the country to live up to the expectations by setting examples geared towards forestalling violence.
Abdur-Raheem advised all groups to channel their grievances through legal means and realise that the leaders alone cannot do it.
Declaring the event open, representative of the Niger State Governor, Mu`azu Babangida Aliyu, Hamidu Kadi-kuta, called on Nigerians to take steps in tackling security challenges facing the nation.
Aliyu said, it was unfortunate that the country was faced with the security challenges aimed at retarding the developments in the country.
The governor further called on the Muslims to use the Ramadan period to pray for the peace and unity of the country.
Earlier, chairman of the Association, Abdurrahman Balogun, urged Politicians in the country to play politics according to the rules of the game.
“As 2015 general elections approaches, politicians should play the game according to the rule. Fear Allah in all their dealings and remember that everyone will account for all deeds in the hereafter” Balogun said.
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