Professor Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, has demanded that the Imam of the National Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Maqari, be fired for his remarks on Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student at Sokoto’s Shehu Shagari College of Education, who was lynched for blaspheming Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Soyinka made this appeal in Abuja, Saturday, during the one-year commemoration of the late former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and the launch of Niran Adedokun’s biography of the late general.
Prof Soyinka claimed that the Islamic preacher directed his followers to take the law into their own hands.
Recall that the Imam of the National mosque Professor Maqari spoke strongly against the insulting comment made by the late college student, stressing that making such a comment was taboo.
The Nobel Laureate condemned religious lynching and demanded that the Imam be removed from office as an apostate of humanity’s credo
He was quoted as saying, “It is no longer sufficient for all to declaim that Islam is this and that, that the Sharia is thus and thus, that Prophet Mohammed set this or that example and made this or that humanistic pronouncement.
“We have gone beyond theocratic rhetoric that merely pays lip service to civilized norms. Let all pietistic denunciations be backed by affirmative action.”Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the most beloved person to the
Sokoto blasphemy: Soyinka demands sack of Abuja National Mosque imam
Prof. Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, has demanded that the Imam of the National Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Maqari, be fired for his remarks on Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student at Sokoto’s Shehu Shagari College of Education, who was lynched for blaspheming Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Recall that the imam spoke strongly against the insulting comment made by the Shehu Shagari student, stressing that making such a comment was taboo.
Mr. Soyinka claimed that the Islamic preacher directed his followers to take the law into their own hands.
On Saturday, he spoke in Abuja during the one-year commemoration of the late former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and the launch of Niran Adedokun’s biography of Attahiru.
The Nobel Laureate condemned religious lynching and demanded that Professor Maqari be removed from office as an apostate of humanity’s credo.
He was quoted as saying, “It is no longer sufficient for all to declaim that Islam is this and that, that the Sharia is thus and thus, that Prophet Mohammed set this or that example and made this or that humanistic pronouncement.
“We have gone beyond theocratic rhetoric that merely pays lip service to civilized norms. Let all pietistic denunciations be backed by affirmative action.”
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the most beloved person to the Muslim faithful, who have the view that on no account should anybody make a derogatory or disrespectful remark against him.
When President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida created Katsina State in 1987, we were full of hopes and euphoria that this fledgeling state would fastly grow and prosper from the grips of a complex Kaduna State. The late singer Mamman Shata aptly captured this mood in his popular song “Allah raya JiharKatsina.” Fortunately, successive military administrations of Governors Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (1987/88), Lawrence Onoja (1988/89), and John Madaki (1989/92) gave us the belief as Katsina became the envy of its neighbouring states. But then the curse of anointment sets in.
During the 1991 general elections, Alhaji Sa’idu Barda of NRC (who controversially became the governor) contested against Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua of SDP. The latter was so popular that no candidate could beat him in a free and fair poll, thanks to the social leverage his older brother, Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’adua, wielded.
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua was about to win the contest when President Babangida intervened and asked the electoral commission to declare Sa’idu Barda the winner.
President Babangida had a grudge against Shehu Musa ‘Ya’adua. Hence the annulment of the first presidential election in which the late ‘Yar’dua of SDP was leading. The rest, they say, is history. Even though Governor Sa’idu Barda was anointed, he was a gentleman though he lacked ideas and focus.
From November 1993 to May 1999, during the rules of General Sani Abacha and General Abdulsalam Abubakar, there were three military governors: Emmanuel Acholono (1993/1996), Sama’ila Chama (1996/1998) and Joseph Akaagerger (1998/1999). They ruled but performed less than the first three crops of the military.
Governor Umaru Musa Yar’adua (1999/2007) was the only unanointed governor Katsina has had yet. Although he had his weak links, he was the people’s darling. Public service was politicised as PDP membership guaranteed the executives, political appointees and thugs to go beyond the ethical and the conventional.
Governor ‘Yar’adua (un)knowingly nurtured those politicians who introduced political brigandage in Katsina political space; late Abba Sayyadi Rumah, the immediate past secretary to the Katsina State Government, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, etc., were his political disciples.
However, Governor Yar’adua spearheaded the transformation of the modern Katsina State. He built the famous Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, the new Katsina master plan, College of Legal, Daura, State Secretariat, Katsina Eye Center, Turai Hospital, etc. His legacies are numerous to mention.
Around 2014 when President Obasanjo singlehandedly anointed Late Governor ‘Yar’dua to contest the presidential seat during the 2015 General Election, he further asked ‘Yar’adua to field an unknown figure in the person of Alhaji Ibrahim Shema to contest the governorship seat. ‘Yar’adua had rooted for Alhaji Aminu Masari, the then speaker of the House of Representatives. Umaru had no choice but to oblige because he was also a product of anointment. Obasanjo was also settling a political score because, in 1999, Speaker Masari had vehemently opposed Obasanjo’s tenure elongation.
Though Governor Shema too performed miracles, it was during his term that corruption was institutionalised. His subsequent trials under the EFCC concerning the Local Government Joint Account fund are a testimony. Shema was so arrogant and daring that he called those outside the PDP cockroaches who deserved to be killed if they interfered with election matters.
Governor Masari was also a product of anointment though he was also a victim of anointment. During the 2014 APC primaries, the late Senator Kanti Bello was about to win the governorship ticket when the exercise was hijacked in favour of Masari by the so-called Abuja politicians. These people pressurised then General (retd.) Muhammadu Buhari to intervene. Subsequently, the election was skewed in favour of Masari. Late Senator Kanti could not forgive Masari until his sudden death in 2017.
Legacies are hard to point out in the seven years of the current APC government. So many people taunt the government that its only legacies are the refurbished traffic circles (roundabouts) in Katsina and the painting of schools in APC colours. Katsina State is today indebted to the World Bank and the IMF.
However, one salient advantage of Masari’s government is political tolerance. The government has given the people the right to political affiliation, which was lacking during the PDP.
For Katsina, the anointment curse continues as Governor Masari points to Alhaji Abba Masanawa, the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, Abuja as his anointed successor.
Only time will tell when Katsina will be free from the grips of anointment.
A former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, has blamed Nigeria’s security crises on the death of former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
Aondoakaa, who is among the Benue governorship aspirants set to contest for the ruling party’s ticket, disclosed this at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Friday, May 20, 2022.
According to him, the security situation bedevilling the country started during President Yar’adua’s time and aftermath of the death of Gaddafi.
“After Gaddafi was overthrown, there was no strong government in Libya, and there was a kind of persecution, and most of the soldiers ran away with light weapons and came in.” He said
He added that the problem would go away with time.
“The insecurity is an external aggression that is spreading within the country, but it is something that will go after some years. We also had the great Wild Wild West in America that was so frightening that we thought America will break. But what happened? It evolved,” he stated.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has stated that an unidentified corpse was on Thursday discovered on the runway of Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport.
FAAN stated the remains were discovered in the night by a motorized cleaner cleared to clean the runway, according to Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, FAAN’s interim corporate relations general manager.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public of an incident in which an unidentified human remains were found on Runway 18R/36L on Thursday, May 19, 2022,” the statement said.
FAAN, therefore, announced that the runway was temporarily shut between 1:10 am and 3:43 am to allow for the immediate evacuation of the remains.
“Flight operations resumed at 0343 hours,” it added.
Investigations are ongoing as the outcome will be made public accordingly.
Going through my newsfeed, I came across a letter dated the 7th of May 2021. Onukwubiri Ifeanyi Kingsley allegedly renounced his position as the first son in the family, because (as he said in the letter) the position increased his problems, increased his liability, and was a thorn in his flesh.
I wonder if he graciously relinquishes his position out of fear of responsibilities. If this is the case, he is wrong to flee from his duties. This life is nothing but a set of examinations, tribulations and challenges, running from the one you may likely encounter superior challenges along your way. So the best solution is to face your challenges and try your best to conquer them.
Historically, in a patriarchal society like ours, the firstborn child’s role has been socially significant, particularly for a firstborn son. As a result, there are sets of expected do’s and don’ts in the lives of firstborns.
As the firstborns, our parents expect us to be 101% good. We have to set the example for other siblings; we have to be brilliant, extra careful, perfect, intelligent, great administrators, toppers in any exam, good athletes and the list goes on. The level of expectation on us is very high, and the burden on our shoulders is quite heavy.
Being the eldest son was never our choice nor our intention, but nature has its way of imposing things on us, and here we are as the firstborns, a position we will hold for our entire life.
Moreover, our darling parents never see us the same as our fellow siblings but rather as alpha children moulded into hardworking gentlemen responsible for steering various homes’ wheels. This blend of expectation and motives sometimes stressed us, resulting in anxiety, which overclouded our verdicts. We fall prey to superfluous fear of the future, which affects our existence, dwindling our efforts in conquering dilemmas.
My advice to all the firstborns is never to see this position as a burden but rather as a blessing. Do your very best in all facets of life, and always look to the Mighty Lord for guidance. If by any chance you feel like losing hope, remember the Quran 26:62 “إنَّ مَعِیَ رَبِّی سَیَھدِ ینِ” “Indeed my Lord is with me, and He is going to guide me”. So when the lord is in control, we have to trust Him and play our part by doing our very best.
To all the firstborns, hold your head high up. You have been endowed with qualities such as strength, struggle and some considered leadership characteristics.
May God bless our hustle, amin. God bless Nigeria, amin.
Fatihu Ibrahim sent this article via fisabbankudi123@gmail.com.
I was at a park yesterday with a couple of friends (other homeschooling moms) and our kids. A fellow Muslim woman passed by where we were sitting and we exchanged salams. She approached me and asked, “بتحكي عربي؟” (“Do you speak Arabic?”) “Yes, I’m Egyptian,” I told her in Arabic, shaking her hand and gesturing for her to sit and join us. The rest of the conversation flowed in Arabic, her Jordanian dialect and my Egyptian one.
She gave me many important things to think about in this exchange. She sat down next to me and looked around curiously at the large group of kids playing rowdily around us. “Are these all your children?” she asked. “Yes, it’s the three of us moms here and these are our kids,” I replied.” Are you guys related? Are you all Arabs? How did you get together/find each other?” she asked. “We’re all friends,” I explained. I gestured at my two non-Arab companions nearby, an African American mom and a Latina mom: “My friends here are not Arabs. This sister is American, a convert actually, and this other sister is Hispanic.” She was surprised and seemed riveted. “To be honest, I was so fascinated when I saw you guys from a distance and all your kids playing together so well. Black and white. I didn’t know there was a third ethnicity in there too!” She told me a bit about herself and her background. She was a Jordanian young woman, 24 years old. Just arrived in America last year from Jordan. She didn’t know the system here yet and was especially confused by the school system. She looked again at the kids, who were now piled on top of one another (there are masha Allah ten boys total, so there tends to be a lot of wrestling).
“Are they in school? Is today an American holiday?” she asked, probably wondering why all these school-aged children were roaming around at a park instead of seated at desks in a classroom somewhere.” No, it’s not a holiday today. We home-school (in Arabic: تعليم منزلي ).” She gave me an intrigued look, fascinated. “What does that mean? I don’t know anything about this. Is homeschooling allowed? So your kids are not associated with *any* school at all? Who teaches them?” “Me,” I said simply. “I teach them. No, they are not associated with any school at all. It’s not necessary. Homeschooling is allowed and many families home-school. I know that it’s not really a thing in our Arab countries. We don’t hear about homeschooling in Egypt, or in Jordan either. But here, homeschooling is a perfectly legal option and there are lots of homeschooling families, alhamdulillah.” She nodded, interested. “What do you teach them in your homeschool?” “Qur’an mostly,” I answered. “We spend most of our class time memorizing Qur’an, then learning Tafseer, some hadith, and Arabic class, in that order. Then we also have an English class, Math, science, and Art. Some of these other classes are weekly, not daily. We also work on projects that the kids are interested in.”
“Why do you homeschool?” she asked the question I get asked the most.” I don’t want my kids to be raised by people I don’t know and don’t share core values with. That’s how it is in American public schools. I know because I went to American public schools. And it’s only gotten worse since I was in school. It used to be that you’d see boys and girls doing all kinds of things in the hallway at school, or sometimes hear kids swearing or using foul language. Nowadays, it’s escalated like crazy. Now it’s two girls or two boys doing all kind of things in the hallway at school, and kids looking at porn on their phones and teaching one another immoral things. Not only is it the kids, but this over-sexualized and LGBT+- stuff has made its way into the school curriculum itself! It’s not just the kids, it’s in the textbook, the teachers! This is what they teach kids in school now. And this is only *one* of the reasons,” I told her.
She nodded, understanding dawning on her face. “Yes, I did notice that the LGBT thing is big in America. That’s actually one of the first things I noticed immediately upon coming to this country. It’s one of the things I still haven’t gotten used to even though I’ve been here a whole year now,” she said. I asked her, “I know! It’s a huge culture shock. What were some of the biggest things that have shocked you, coming from Jordan to America? “She thought for a second, then replied, “I’ve been shocked by the number of concessions ( تنازلات ) Muslims make in living here in this country. I hadn’t been aware of that in Jordan, and it caught me by surprise and I still haven’t gotten over it. I have two brothers in high school here, and they see all kinds of things in school and tell me about it. They are both forced to shake the hands of females, but it’s hard not to, because of the culture. We met some Jordanians here who told us that they use riba (interest). We can’t look around without our eyes falling on some haram thing. It’s concession after concession. And I’m shocked at the Muslims here who seem totally fine with it, even though none of this is part of Islam!” I shook my head, acutely aware of her pain. I feel it too, but it was different to hear such clear, honest words coming from a Muslim who was freshly arrived from a Muslim, Arab country and confronting the reality of “American Islam.”
What would this Jordanian girl say if she found out that there are American Muslim “shaykhs” who encourage Muslims to hold hands with gay activists? How would she react if she heard that famous American Muslims keep insisting that as Muslims, we support “the right” of people to engage freely in haram acts? How much more shocked would she feel when she heard that popular American “imams” and “shaykhaz” were pushing feminism like it was candy to the Muslim population? So I simply told her, “You are absolutely right. I am still shocked at the same exact things, and I’ve been here for decades. It is just shocking. I hope I never get used to any of this or start thinking any of these things are normal. And this is another reason why I don’t allow my kids to enter these schools; I don’t want any of this to be normal for them, either.”
“Going to American schools every day will definitely normalize a lot of things,” she agreed. “I worry about my brothers. But alhamdulillah, they are older going into it. At least they were raised in Jordan and know enough not to be too swayed by the stuff they see here in these schools. I’d be frantic with worry if my brothers were in elementary school here, for example.” “Yes, younger kids are more vulnerable. The first years of a child’s life are for building a foundation (تأسيس ), and it needs to be done right, especially for us Muslims. Unfortunately, what sometimes happens in this country is that Muslim parents aren’t paying attention, and their kids enter non-Muslim schools from age 4 or 5 until age 18, and the change they undergo is drastic. It’s like entering a machine: you go into it a Muslim on the fitra, and come out the other end either barely still Muslim with warped views, or just an atheist or an agnost, والعياذ بالله.
For me, homeschooling is not optional. It’s mandatory. I have no other choice. If it’s a choice between the Deen of my kids and literally any other thing, there is no choice in the matter. They are my amana (أمانة), my responsibility before Allah.” She surprised me by saying, “You know, you are the minority here. You are not like the rest of the Muslims I’ve met so far in America. None of them do this homeschool thing. They send their kids to regular American schools and think nothing of it. They’re even a little proud maybe, that their kids are going to be Americans and learn to act and dress and speak like Americans. They care about the material (الماديات) and don’t seem too concerned about the effect of this society on their kids. They worry about things like if their kids will be able to fit in or not, if their kids will get good jobs or not, etc.” Long after the conversation ended and the sister left, I sat pondering her words, her assessment of the American Islam she was confronted with upon her arrival to America.
Troops of 34 Brigade, Nigerian Army(NA) have captured a cache of arms and ammunition belonging to elements of the dissident group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network(ESN), after a gun battle at Amaifeke-Akkatta Road in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo state.
The fire arms and ammunition were recovered during troops’ operations to clear separatists’ hideouts in the general area of Amaifeke – Akkatta road.
Troops uncovered the weapons concealed in a black Toyota Camry, after they successfully surmounted ambushes staged by members of the outlawed dissident group, who, having been overpowered by the gallant troops, abandoned their vehicle and weapons in the heat of the combat and fled the scene.
After a thorough search, the troops recovered ten Pump Action Shotguns, seven locally fabricated guns, one locally made Revolver Pistol, eighty Live Cartridges, one Baofeng Radio and substance suspected to be gun powder.Others include Satchet of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and a Toyota Camry Saloon car.
This information was release through the verified Facebook page of the Nigerian Army Headquarter by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu on Thursday, 19th May, 2022.
The Nigerian Army commends members of the public for their continued support to the military and security agencies, as they protect the citizens from attrocious activities of the outlawed dissident groups, who in defiance of law and good order have annihilated innocent Ndigbo and other Nigerians, in their enforcement of an illegal sit at home order, foisted on the good people of the South East.
The NA urges all to continue to provide timely and credible information in support of ongoing operations to restore peace and security in the South East and other troubled parts of the country.
To achieve the relative peace we crave, we must respect each other’s religion and be wary of using nasty words on our “sacred belongings.” However, I wholeheartedly condemn jungle justice, burning people, and people taking laws into their hands. That is un-Islamic. Islam is organized religion. We should follow due process when it comes to issues that require capital punishment.
For a fact, I know that any negative thing in words or drawing against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) will not be tolerated or pardoned by any truly practising Muslims across the globe. However, Muslims should be wary of taking laws into our hands. Some people say that the justice system in Nigeria does not do the right thing at the right time. They mainly delay judgment.
Some people gave the example of Mubarak Bala – an atheist from Kano – who was sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to blasphemous charges against him. They said that his punishment was the death penalty, but he was sentenced to 24 years in jail, which was unjust. I told them that that should not be an excuse for them to take laws into their hands because Islam does not encourage doing that, no matter how bad our systems are.
In the wake of Deborah’s killing by a mob, a lady named Naomi Goni was reported to the police and the Borno State Government over a blasphemous she made on Facebook. The Borno State Government aptly did the needful to avoid jungle justice on her, as in Sokoto. Jungle justice and people taking laws into their hands are un-Islamic. Everyone should respect each other’s religion for the sake of peace. We shouldn’t be influenced by press freedom or any similar freedoms to do anything that can lead to the loss of lives and properties across the country.
On May 16th, I read news published by the Punch newspaper that a Lagos engineer was killed and burnt on the road by motorcycle operators because of N100. This is condemnable and should not be accepted by any reasonable government. It is high time the Nigerian government came up with strict laws on burning people no matter what they did.
These guys gruesomely burnt the engineer because of N100. You can’t count how many people were killed and burnt because of minor things like stealing food, goat, little money, and shoes, among others, in the South. And they happily do it. No northerner will kill anyone because of any of the things mentioned above. Yet, the northerners are called murderers. Really! Are they?
Although I am not an Islamic scholar, I know that Allah has warned and forbidden believers from punishing people with fire. Only Him does that. Insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is unacceptable and unpardonable even in a Muslim minority state or country, let alone a place like Sokoto, which is primarily the root of Islam in the North. Desisting from insulting the prophet will not cost you anything. Why can’t we live in peace?
As Muslims, we should act with knowledge in whatever we do. Allah has asked us to know Him before we worship Him. We can’t worship Him if we don’t know Him. We should respect each other’s religion no matter what happens because none of us will take it lightly when any of us transgresses. I fear that this issue should not be metamorphosed into religious conflicts because people’s comments on the incident are scary and dangerous.
One’s faith in Islam will not be complete until he believes and loves Jesus – Isa (AS). That is why you won’t see Muslims insulting him. Honestly, some of the comments made by some moderate Muslims and Christians are unjustifiable because such things have been happening in the South/East in the open, and no Muslim has ever attributed them to Christianity because we know what Christianity is.
Why can’t they do the same justice as Muslims do for Christianity when things go wrong in the South? Until we start telling ourselves the truth and live by it, respect each other’s religion and censor our utterances, we will continue to get things wrong. Then, we can live together without crossing each other’s red lines.
It is hypocritical to condemn and label the Muslims as murderers because of what happened in Sokoto while you keep mute on the killings thriving in the South and other places. All lives are sacred, and no religion has asked its followers to kill people for no reason, and no religion has asked its followers to insult or mock someone’s faith. This has to be understood by all of us.
The only way to end this kind of incident is through the establishment of laws on blasphemy with strict punishment for whoever is found wanting. In addition, the state governors should enact laws that will protect each other’s religion in the country to avoid jungle justice, burning people, and preventing people from taking laws into their hands.
The law should clearly state that whoever insults or uses nasty words on prophets or religion publicly will be decisively dealt with. The person should blame themselves for whatever punishment is meted at them. I think this will put an end to blasphemy, which will save lives and properties in the country.
The Kano State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Shehu Na’Allah Kura, has resigned to join the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
A statement signed Thursday, March 19, 2022, by the state commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammadu Garba, disclosed.
The NNPP has continued to record success as other party members, particularly APC, who felt slighted, flooded to join the party (NNPP).
The statement reads, “One of the commissioners nominated for appointment by Senator Ibrahim Shekarau into the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in the lucrative ministry of finance and economic development, Shehu Na’Allah Kura, has resigned and joined his boss.”
Although Kura has yet to publicly announce his defection from the APC to NNPP, he is believed to have joined his boss, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.
Senator Ibrahim Shekarau officially joined NNPP on March 18, 2022.
President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Thursday for United Arab Emirates (UAE) to commiserate with the new UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, over the death of Sheikh Kalifa bin Zayed.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed is the former president of the UAE and died on Friday at the age of 73. Until his death, he was the UAE president for 18 good years.
A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, disclosed.
The statesmen added that President Buhari will also extend his congratulations to the new President as a way to renew bonds of the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and the UAE.
According to the statement, President Buhari will be accompanied by the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, and the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.
“The President, in an earlier congratulatory message to the new UAE leader, had reaffirmed Nigeria’s cordial relationship with the country, noting that the cooperation between both governments have helped Nigeria in tracking down illegal assets and tracing terrorist funds.
“Under the new leadership, President Buhari looks forward to a bigger and stronger partnership for peace, stability and prosperity of both countries.
“The President is expected back in the country on Saturday,” the statement added.
