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By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The remains of late Maj. Gen. Hassan Ahmed, who was assassinated yesterday (Thursday), was buried in Abuja this afternoon. It’s reported that the incident happened while the late Major General was returning to Abuja from Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. Some yet-to-be identified shooters attacked his car around the Abaji area council, killing him. The attackers took away the wife of the senior military officer.

Many sympathisers described the situation surrounding the demise of Hassan as very unfortunate. Until his death, he was a director at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Kaduna State Police Command has apprehended and paraded five suspects for their involvement in criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide in parts of Zaria and environs.

In an interview with the press, two suspects confessed that they’ve terrorising Maɗaci and Kofan Gayan areas. The five suspects are Tsalha, Lawali, Malam, Nuhu, and one other unnamed Fulani man. It has been confirmed that the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.

Being the only non-profit oriented media organisation focusing primarily on issues and problems bedevilling northern Nigeria, The Daily Reality is a dream comes true.

During a courtesy call by The Daily Reality newspaper members to the Kano State Commissioner of Information, Hon. Muhammad Garba, in his office on Wednesday, 13th July 2021, the commissioner expressed his happiness, adding that:

“The concept of The Daily Reality is very commendable. We really appreciate your effort. This shows that you know what is happening [in this country and beyond]. The only thing we can add is to pray to Almighty Allah to sustain your effort. Honestly speaking, every person who is abreast with what is happening in Nigeria knows about this gap you come to bridge. Media shouldn’t be seen as the sole affair of politicians. It is for all. You can invest in the media not just to make money but also to protect your people, your business, ideology or to champion a certain cause like this thing you are doing. Of course, the media business is challenging. It takes time before it yields the desired result. This is why our people (Northerners) prefer such businesses they will invest today and harvest [profit] tomorrow.”

Recalling the challenges he faced in convincing Northern politicians, business moguls and other influential personalities to invest in media, Hon. Garba narrated that:

“When I was the president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), these were the issues I kept presenting to our leaders, but unfortunately, some of them thought that media investment is for Southerners alone. I visited many politicians, business people and elder statesmen, but they dumped me. Until today, our people don’t understand the power of media and the danger of living without media protection. Sadly, every month, many state governments and business tycoons in the North pay some media giants in the South huge money to support their programmes, businesses and give them favourable coverage. Yet, they criticise and condemn some of their actions. Though that is the duty of the press. Now, where is our New Nigerian? Who failed New Nigerian? Therefore, I urge you to expand your activities to other states. Be objective, fair, neutral and avoid politicising issues. The North needs your help. Our people need your help. We will give you the necessary support,” said Hon. Commissioner.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The Nigerian army has on Thursday refuted media reports alleging that about 1000 repentant Boko Haram members were secretly released and handed over to the Borno State Government.

This was contained in a statement released by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, through Nigerian Army’s official Facebook handle.

The statement reads, “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of a media publication alleging that the NA has handed over 1009 Ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno State government. The report also alleged that the event was shrouded in secrecy.”

The Army added that “this report, is obviously one of those attempts to dampen troops morale and denigrate the NA, riding on the back of unsubstantiated report and misinformation.”

In an attempt to make a clarification, it further recounted what actually transpired. “It is an indisputable fact that the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North East has led to the arrest of several terrorism/insurgency suspects. These suspects have been held in custody, while undergoing profiling and further investigations by experts from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC) and those who are found culpable are usually handed over to prosecuting agencies accordingly, while those who are not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are cleared and released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society. These cleared suspects are therefore not ex Boko Haram fighters, as peddled in the said online report and as the masterminds would want to impress on the public. A total of 1009 cleared suspects, not ex-fighters, were therefore released after this rigorous process on Wednesday 14 July 2021.

It is also necessary to categorically state that the handing over of the cleared suspects was not shrouded in secrecy as it was witnessed by United Nations Humanitarian and government agencies, in tandem with global best practice,” the statement added.

By Muhammad Mahmud

The recent debate between AbdulJabbar and representatives of Kano Ulama on the former’s reprehensible method of uttering unprintable words on the person of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be Upon Him) on the pretext of deduction and/or inference has opened yet another question on the freedom of expression. Some few supporters of AbdulJabbar decided to hinge their support on the hype of freedom of expression, saying that they are supporting him because he represents their free speech advocacy.

Nevertheless, a simple glance will expose this fallacy because if criticising other ideas is sanctioned by the freedom of speech article, AbdulJabbar himself does not seem to believe in it given his radical stance on the right of different sects to propagate their understanding. He condemns other people (sometimes using all available invectives) for no reason other than expressing opinions that contradicts his stance. He attacks other sects with impunity, descending on the personalities of many revered sheikhs, who were not even aware of his existence, in order to hurt emotionally and psychologically injure their admirers who disagree with him on one issue or another.

It is, therefore, hypocritical to premise supporting the man on the shaky ladder of free speech advocacy. This is even more evident as the peddlers of this chicanery never, even for once, voiced their dissatisfaction with the man’s assault on others who spoke their minds.

Now that the issue of freedom of expression is introduced into the unfolding drama, it is pertinent to ask what precisely this freedom of expression is? What is its scope, length and breadth? To what extent is it applicable? Who determines what it is and who will decide who is guilty of violating its principles?

We must address this because without fully knowing and understanding these, we may never have the much sought “liberty” to express ourselves. Unfortunately, many questionable elements will hide under it to deny us our own right to express ourselves.

It looks like almost every blasphemer or assaulter of people’s sacred places and/or scripture will find a supporter among the advocates of freedom of expression. Are the majority of people whose religion is attacked NOT free to express their anger? Why the intolerance against intolerance? It seems we are faced with what we can call a tyranny of the minority.

Section 39 (1) of the Nigerian constitution says: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.” Why should this only be applicable when those opinions are from the minority?

Am I not free to hate and despise anyone who infringes on my liberty and attack me, my religion or culture? Put aside those reasons, am I not free to hate anyone, including AbdulJabbar, for no reason at all? Why should someone then try to gag me when I have a reason to hate and express my anger towards him when he attacks what I hold dear?

Some of them used to argue that we abhor dissent. This is also not true. We have been living with dissent throughout our history. Even after Sheikh Dan Fodio’s Jihad, there were non-Muslims who went about their businesses without any harassment. Throughout our towns, there are a handful of brothels known as Gidan Magajiya. There were singers and dancers. There were even ‘yan daudu in addition to prostitutes. They live here. None of them was reported to have been attacked by the people or the authorities, to the best of my knowledge.

Also, the Ulama differ. They write books for and against what they believe and what they do not believe. People follow any sect they feel they are more at home with. They form and join groups. All these existed in Arewa before Nigeria even existed; they still exist. What gave the impression that we hate dissent is yet to be enumerated. Therefore, this is not about disagreement; it is about attacking and insulting what people hold dear and sacred while waving the card of free speech.

By Abubakar Suleiman

No thanks to his polemics, fiery tongue and boastfulness, AbdulJabbar Nasiru Kabara, the scion of the famous and revered Islamic scholar Shaykh Nasiru Kabara, has dominated the tongue and pens (though in the negatives) of most Hausa-speaking Muslims after the long-awaited debate has been laid to rest. He stirred the hornet nest and got stung from all directions.

Over the years, he has gained currency due to his unrestrained and unhinged attempts during preachments to create a hole in the validity of the Sunni Canons, especially Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih al-Muslim. Plus, he has also never relent efforts in casting doubts into the minds of his gullible and unsuspecting followers on the narrative integrity of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). He is actually not the first to cast doubts on authentic Prophetic traditions, but he is the most reckless one I have come across.

Tellingly, in all his attempts, AbdulJabbar bucked context, methodological principles in the science of Hadith, Arabic nuances and even cultural conceptualisations or idiosyncrasies, especially in translations. And these translations ended up impugning the sacredness of the Prophet. Moreover, save for Allah’s intervention through the Kano state government, his dogmatism and preachings might have led to bloodshed and loss of lives and property.

This saga should once again bring to the front burner the issue of regulating preachers and preaching in Nigeria. One’s ability to translate Arabic text or to graduate from an Islamic university or a Christian theological seminary in Nigeria or abroad should not automatically confer on anyone the authority or absolute freedom to preach or use media houses to propagate ANY kind of religious ideology devoid of a vetting process.

There is no gainsaying that some religious clerics have exploited or abused the freedom of religion or expression for both personal and even political gains through dangerous indoctrination, misinterpretation of religious diktats and the preaching of skewed versions of religion. AbdulJabbar is a good specimen of how to throw decency to the dogs with the help of jarring sounds from a cheering and unsuspecting crowd in preference for personal gains.

Unfortunately, as a society, we most times abhor regulations on seemingly everything. Unfortunately, this nonchalant attitude has often come with a huge and devastating price, as we have witnessed in the case of Maitatsine and, now witnessing in the aftermath of Muhammad Yusuf’s death and the subsequent upsurge of the Boko Haram insurgency and, also AbdulJabbar’s preachments.

Regulation in religious matters is a sensitive issue. Still, it is a pertinent key in taming extreme tendencies, reducing margins of errors in religious fatwas and enhancing positive social policy and social integration. Yes, we can contemplate the government’s tendency to enact laws on preaching in erecting barriers that would insulate them from accountability or criticisms as humanly possible. However, we cannot underestimate the effects or the grave consequences of leaving preachers of any kind unchecked in our current realities.

The government at all levels should, as a matter of urgency, collaborate with relevant religious organisations in building or tweaking existing institutions which shall be backed by law. The institution should be shouldered with the responsibilities of, among others, screening and issuing a licence to preachers, judiciously and sincerely implementing the enacted rules and periodically revising and amending the laws in tandem with current realities or evolving peculiarities.

The solution, as mentioned earlier, is not a one-size-fits-all. Still, we desperately need a system or mechanism to check religious excesses and undue preachments before the next ‘AbdulJabbar’ or religious demagogue rears his ugly head and throws us into another quagmire that may be costly to our lives, religion, time and wealth.

Abubakar Suleiman writes from Kaduna and can be reached via abusuleiman06@yahoo.com.

This morning, Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, attended the inaugural meeting of the newly constituted board of the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA). The new board has the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe as Chair, and Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II as Vice Chair. The agency is saddled with the responsibility of luring in local and foreign investments into kaduna state and promote the already existing businesses in the state.

By Adamu Usman Garko

Our esteemed mentor, Mallam Muhsin Ibrahim, nudged us to appreciate people who have impacted our persons and careers through their selfless doings. This noble orientation inspired my decision to beam the fluorescence of my appreciation on Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho, the person who supported me with books, sponsored the publication of my premier collection When Day Breaks, and in other ways that will be laid bare in this piece. As time permits, I will beam this same light on several others who continue to pillar my growth as an individual, but, for now, enjoy this memoir of appreciation for Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho. 

Before I delve into Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho’s long list of generous deeds, please permit me to re-emphasise that I am willing to immortalise heroes who have been contributory to our strides as individuals and as a community of young writers with my writings since their kindness is so immense that repayment will be futile. It is, in fact, global truth that impact can not be fully compensated with money, but writings of this nature are efforts to display our continuous gratitude and appreciation for these people.

Cherished readers and friends! Behind the glitters of my successes that many of you take pride in stands a selfless and generous pillar who caught them at infancy and nursed them. Allah in His Sublimity has this divine act of using people driven by pure generosity, sincerity, knowledge and experience as thresholds of the successes of other people. For me, this person is Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho.

In 2017 when I began the intellectual struggle of creative writing for public consumption through my social media platforms, I was very young. I posted a poem on my page, and Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho dropped a comment under the poem to show his heartfelt admiration for the work. He asked if I lived in Gombe, and I replied in the affirmative. This engagement would later birth the offer of his library for my usage; this signifies the beginning of his many contributions to my craft.

Before this blessed encounter with him, my medium of studying was my TECNO Y4. It was herculean to read on the phone due to its small storage capacity and small screen size. So, imagine how difficult it was to read for someone like me who was bred in a community bereft of the love for reading and writing. These days, I awake to the fascinating sights of shelves brimming with books I own and this, to me, signifies exponential growth and exaltation.

In fact, the story of how I picked this bizarre interest in writing despite the general lack of interest in such preoccupation and without a significant predecessor still astounds me. That I awoke to the blur images of me; reading and writing, is something that still leaves me in great awe, thanks to Mr Nongo Asor, my first English Literature teacher, in whose practical class I fell in love with writing. 

Sequel to Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho’s offer, I visited him in great anticipation to see his library brimmed with books I had fantasised about. His humility is as broad as the sky, and his comeliness was huge even mountainous does not fit. He was and still is an influential figure in the state. However, his jovial persona during my first visit belied his public status, and he has not ceased being that warm person. 

After a brief conversation with him, he walked me into his rich library and directed me to the fiction section that beheld the best of fictional writings. My interest then lay deeply in fiction. We resolved that I would take 5 – 8 books every month, read them, and discuss them with him thereafter. At this juncture, it is important to add that I have not come across a book wiz like him; he remembers all details of any book with astute precision. 

The arrangement continued as agreed upon. Then, my transition began from a hungerer for books over-stressed by his phone to an accessory of a library stacked with diverse fictional writings across all genres. Alhaji Kabiru is always procuring new books and constantly consuming more and more. His thirst for knowledge is insatiable, and this never cinched off his virtual and physical engagements. 

Apart from the aforementioned, he is one of the very few from whom I got honest feedback. The feedbacks that were ever encouraging and challenged me to do more. Consequentially, Alhaji Kabiru’s house in Gombe became my second home, and a place of consolation and direction where he was/is ever ready to be a guide even on my personal choices and decisions. He doubled as a father figure and literary mentor. 

When, in 2018, I received an invitation to, alongside two others from Kaduna and Kano states, represent the North at the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, he was the second person I called. Alhaji Kabiru was delighted to learn that I would be meeting the esteemed Nobel Laureate in his hometown in Abeokuta and assured me of his continued support. Funny as it may sound, that journey was my first travel out of Gombe state. Now that I have travelled to many states in the South and North of this country, it is a delight that I never travelled for any other purpose apart from educational and literary matters, and all were strictly by invitation.

Alhaji Kabiru said that I was supposed to have begun writing a book. He was thrilled when I informed him that I had about three unpublished manuscripts already. He quizzed about what delayed their publication, and I stated that it was due to a lack of sponsorship. Alhaji Kabiru offered to sponsor the publication to the last naira. I searched for my poetry collection manuscript, When Day Breaks and sent it to a publishing press. The publishers replied with some options, and I opted to print five hundred copies, totalling a considerable amount of money. Without batting an eyelid, Alhaji Kabiru made full payment, and the publication began. 

By Allah, this gesture came unexpectedly as our society is brimmed with people who never help even when they can do that. But here was Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho selflessly offering me a largesse I would hold onto forever. 

When the book was eventually published, and the five hundred copies were sent to me, Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho was the first person I called while carting the books home. I said I would take the books to him first so he would be the first to see them. But to my utter surprise, he asked me not to bother that this was his way of supporting Gombe and challenged me to keep making the state proud. 

The book copies were delivered in 2018, but they remained in my drawer due to insufficient funds to organise the launch. I embarked on massive promotion of the book through several fora as buildup towards a launch I had no idea how to execute. Almost a year after, Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho quizzed me on why the book had not been released to the public despite the wildfire spread of its title. I informed him of my predicament. He immediately asked for a range of the cost which I provided, and he promised full financing of the book launch.  

Alhaji Kabiru has a heart filled with honesty, generosity, unrestrained warmth, and passion for exemplifying good for the sake of Allah without expecting anything in return. When the date for the launch was fixed, and everything had been readied for the book presentation/launch, I requested him to chair the occasion. To my surprise, he declined and asked to grace the event as a spectator rather than as a special guest. See humility? But I insisted because I couldn’t think of any other person. Upon my insistence, he accepted.

However, the day scheduled for the presentation coincided with his official duty in Kano. Despite that, he still came to honour me at the book presentation with a rich speech chronicling his encounter with me. Immediately after his speech, he apologised that he would be leaving for the said appointment.

It is an understatement that the publication of my book inspired many young people in many states to take their pens and begin to write. Here, in Gombe especially, the release of When Day Breaks led to the discovery and rise of many young talents. I wouldn’t be off track to say this book brought me out of obscurity to the little limelight I enjoy now. Not only has it allowed me some level of financial independence and granted me the luxury of owning books of all genres, but it has also won several awards and taken me to places I had never imagined. 

The same book brought me access to Professor Saleh Abdu, an internationally renowned scholar who had nurtured many Professors, including the popular critic, Professor Farooq Kperogi. Out of his sheer passion to encourage me, Professor Saleh Abdu wrote the forward to the book and doubled as the book reviewer during the Book Presentation. But he didn’t stop at that. He recommended the book to his university students, which spiked demand for the poetry collection written by a high school student. In addition, the same book was enlisted by the Daily Trust newspaper in 2018 among the 15 best books in Nigeria.

All of these happened because Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho breathed reality into my dreams and gifted me the keys to open doors in a society replete with apathy for talent promotion. These strides were possible because of Alhaji’s benevolent decision to gift me support and acceptance in a community characterised by a longstanding culture of celebrating mediocrity. 

Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho isn’t only dedicated to supporting people like myself; he doubles as a trailblazing administrator and ardent public servant who worked with the previous Governor in the area of finance and has since been re-elected to serve the present administration in a superior capacity in the same department due to his level of transparency and expertise. 

His choice as an administrator is not political. It results from his ingenuity, doggedness, and selfless service to humanity, which has drawn people from every class and background to him despite his apathy for attention. With many success stories at his disposal, he could use the media for self-promotion. Still, he has chosen otherwise because he values hard work, supports creativity, and anticipates his reward from Allah. 

His is a life devoid of pretension. Like many he has helped, my success story will never be complete without special tribute paid to him. He wasn’t just a mentor but a beacon of light, a pillar and a parasol that shields. He is a father and a confidant who is deeply vested in change and development. 

If I had written a compendium of eulogy to show gratitude, they would not suffice. He was there when there was no one. He was present when the journey was rough and the path uncharted. He spurred me on with love and acceptance. He encouraged and moulded me with his warm hands. In an attempt to pay it forward, I have assumed the role of a pillar in my little ways to numerous other young minds. 

I remember Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho whenever young minds under my tutelage show their appreciation whenever I gift them books or access to opportunities to launch their careers (two of them are about to get their dream manuscripts published). So what I am doing now is nothing compared to the kindness I have received and am still receiving from Alhaji Kabiru Tsoho. 

I will continue working tirelessly to impact young minds without any expectation of reward. In fact, it is indeed a source of delight to be a beacon of light to others like someone very dear has been to you. This is how to keep the world circling in a continuum of compassion. 

For his deep devotion to helping people and his selflessness and understanding during the course of growth, and for his service to Gombe at large, I say thank you.
These words are not enough to thank him for his voluminous acts of kindness. I pray that Allah keeps elevating me on this path so I can reflect Alhaji Kabiru’s goodness for global appreciation. May Allah also grant Jannah to his parents, bless his family, forgive and grant him the highest place in Jannah. 

May Allah further bestow him the economic wherewithal, mental stamina, spiritual aptitude and physical strength needed to continue the excellent work. 

Adamu Usman Garko writes from Gombe State. He can be reached via adamugarkousman@gmail.com.

By Abubakar A. Bukar

In an attempt to demystify what he regards as Salafists’ deification of Bukhari, ‘Jabbar ended up with this raw Rushdification of the Prophet (SAW). All these references and inferences of indecency attributed to the Prophet (wa’iyaz billah, except for the debate, very few knew that the profanity is such great in its filthiness) remind one of many passages in the Satanic Verse. To which, Kano cannot keep silent. To which, the North cannot be indifferent. Nay, nor the Muslim world as a whole. When Rushdie attempted, the Ummah reacted. No less when similarly caricatures oozed with the stench from Denmark. While France’s Charlie Hebdo got more than what it bargained. Of recent when Macron assented to such insanity, we’re all appalled and nearly went berserk in search of lines from Namangi’s Wakokin Imfiraji:

         Wa ya kai, wa yai kamarka?

         Wa ya san asali ya naka?

        Wa ya san matukar rabonka?

        Tun da Allah ya yabe ka,

        Duk wanda ya ki ka ma yi gaba

Where the honour of the Prophet is at stake, an average Muslim would accept being intolerant, antediluvian and worse descriptions far readily than expected in lieu of the desecration. The interrelation of the Prophet’s personality and its sanctity with a Muslim devout is beyond mere belief, obedience and homage. It’s about the latter’s existential significance. It is on this note the Muslim relates with any threat thus – which appears incomprehensible to non-Muslim. This signification is beautifully captured by the American anthropologist Saba Mahmoud in her engagement with Judith Butler. See Religious Reason and Secular Affect:…where she says, ‘the Aristotlean term schesis captures this living relation because of its heightened psychophysiological and emotional connotations and its emphasis on familiarity and intimacy as a necessary aspect of the relation.

What interests me in this iconophile tradition is not so much the image as the concept of relationality that binds the subject to the object of veneration. Those who profess love for the Prophet do not simply follow his advice and admonition to the umma (that exist in the form of the hadith) but also try to emulate how he dressed; what he ate; how he spoke to his friends and adversaries; how he slept, walked, and so on. These mimetic ways of realising the Prophet’s behaviour are lived not as commandments but as virtues where one wants to ingest as it were, the Prophet’s persona into oneself… Muhammad, in this understanding, is not simply a proper noun referring to a particular historical figure but the mark of a relation of similitude…  The sense of moral injury that emanates from such a relationship between the ethical subject and the figure of exemplarity (such as Muhammad) is quite distinct from one that the notion of blasphemy encodes. The notion of moral injury I am describing no doubt entails a sense of violation, but this violation emanates not from the judgment that “the law” has been  transgressed but from the perception that one’s being, grounded as it is in a relationship of dependency with the Prophet, has been shaken’.

And I think it is from this prism Bala Mohammed, former Trust columnist, wrote that where the Prophet is involved, we are fanatics or something of that import in his reaction to the Danish cartoons.

The Sheikh in question obviously feels so much saturated (if not intoxicated) with counter-argument that he severally warned his interlocutors not to send a “tiny” representative, which he would bulldoze in a matter of seconds. But they defied by seemingly playing out this logical David-Goliath with him. I have never heard of this Rijiyar-Lemu Jnr. beforehand. And since the Sheikh’s encounter with Alkasim Hotoro, one could notice his ill-preparedness for conventional debate; that he’s more well-exercised and blabbermouth only in the absence of an antagonist. In a word, he’s a disappointment to the usual assertiveness of dissident voice. This becomes clearer when one juxtaposes Tal’udis vs Ja’far Adams debate. You may argue that besides the clerical establishment, the government too is posed against the dissenting Sheikh, making it nearly impossible to win the card. The fact of the matter is that since Socrates and Milton, dissidents grapple in/with the same circumstances. It’s the power of their argument, the logicality of the presentation of their stand – which considers and surmounts their opponents’ in Millian fashion – that extricate and exonerate them at least in the view of current sympathisers and later generation of dispassionate examiners.

In all this, the biggest lesson is on the centrality of humility and sincerity in the acquisition and transmission of knowledge.

Similarly, I’d also felt our teacher shouldn’t have been the moderator in this debate. But upon listening through the 5 hours of exchanges, nothing could be fairer than Professor Salisu Shehu’s handling of the interlocking scenario. Partisan, yes he is, but I think he has ably transcended that with calmness and justice. After all, it was not a stark case of the Sufi-Salafi divide as many framed it to be, misleadingly. Among Sheikh Jabbar’s interrogators are representatives of Tijjaniya, Qadiriya, JIBWIS and Salafi.

Beyond winning and losing, the debate, to me, raises more questions than answers which calls for re-debate, or, once more, putting ‘Jabar on the dock – as it was. The Sheikh was, for instance, caught complaining that what was presented to the public by his debaters as his scholastic stand on the controversy was only a ‘text’ – with utter disregard to the context. In the name of fairness, could he be granted, in hindsight, the chance to hear him out through and through on the context? Or he just be asked to produce a book exhausting whatever burhan he has on this? Wouldn’t it be creditable if the classical Baytul Hikmah is reincarnated thus? To what extent is our toleration of dissent and dissidents in the name of freedom of opinion and expression thereof? Or are these concepts alien in our tradition? To what extent are the canons open to critique? What are the political and economic dimensions of these blasphemous shenanigans? And the international connections – how does it lubricate the engine of globalisation? Is it true that all the ahadith wherein the Prophet prescribed capital punishment were mere fabrication and distortions as the Sheikh lately claimed? Is the Sheikh alone in this, especially with regard to blasphemy? In the power asymmetry and contestation between the fringe and the mainstream, how do we save the truth from being the first casualty  – with apologies to Phillip Knight? Ad infinitum.

Bukar wrote in from ABU’s Mass Communication and can be reached via aabukar555@gmail.com.

By Mallam Musbahu Magayaki

Nigeria is hallowing in many annoying obstacles, but insecurity is one of the awful encounters of her recent havoc. Her citizens are now obstructed from undertaking their daily activities.

However, this series of sad incidence is induced by jobless youths as a result of unemployment. Many suspected criminals arrested claim that the primary root cause of their unlawful acts is joblessness.

Given the above sad stories, there is a need for the government to become exigent in providing jobs opportunities for our teeming youths and introducing skills acquisitions training schemes in all regions of the country. This can be actualised by collaborating with governors, senators, reps, and members of the state house of assembly.

Though, there are ongoing government programs meant for curbing the suffering of Nigerians, especially those not on government payroll through ministries of Youths and Sports and Humanitarians Affairs, Disaster Management. But these would not pave the way and solve our current predicament; instead, they would reduce it.

Furthermore, Nigeria needs to eliminate the escalating insecurity to employ unemployed youths, not necessarily with white-collar jobs but even black-collar one.

Nevertheless, giving full power and support to traditional rulers would also help in combating the insecurity. This is because these traditional rulers are closer to commoners than the government officials. As such, whoever is observed in every community exploiting unlawful acts worthy of investigating should be caught and brought to book.

More so, as you have publicly advised the security personnel to change tactics in the fight against insurgency, you have to furnish them with advanced weapons and motivational dues to enable them to confront the enemies of our country. But every years’ budget, a humongous amount of funds are approved and released for arms purchase to combat security challenges. Alas! Nothing positive is observed in eradicating the menace of insecurity. Nonetheless, our security agencies should be trained and retrained by experts in more strategic tactics in the war against terrorism. Even though this is ongoing, but there is a need for efforts redoubling.

In a nutshell, I would, therefore, like to urge you to adopt the remedies mentioned above if we honestly want to impede this challenge of security that is crippling our country.

Mallam Musbahu Magayaki writes from Sabon Fegi, Azare, Bauchi State (musbahumuhammad258@gmail.com).