Alleged Planned Attack On Christians: Group Tasks FG To Be Proactive

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, March 2nd, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A group of Muslim professionals and business men has expressed serious concern, on the Federal Government (FG) revelation over alleged plot by the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists and their allies in the Islamic State in West Africa, (ISWAP), to commence deadly attack on Christians and Christian villages so as to ‘’trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos’’

The Companion in a statement released Monday by its Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Habeeb Olayinka, on behalf of the Amir, Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Abdul Majeed noted that the revelation made last Thursday in Abuja, by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was an allegation, ‘’yet found it worrisome, therefore concluded that it calls for a deep investigations by all parties that are concerned, as well as measures to tackle the planned bloody onslaught headlong, if at all such an odious contrive exists in the first place’’.

The group said it observed from the Minister’s allegation that the source (s) of the FG hint was not disclosed and more worrisome is that the FG did not provide information on any counter plan by it against the alleged plot.

The statement read in part:

‘’We wish to note that if the serious allegation made by Alhaji Mohammed is not a mere pre-empt of an alleged sinister plot still in the working, or an attempt to confuse the public, but later score a political point, then, we strongly believe that more pragmatic and urgent actions must be taken than public announcement.

‘’It is in line with this, we urge the FG to avail the Nigerian public more information especially, with respect to the part (s) of the country the groups are targeting. Also, the government should inform the public when the bloody assault, is planned to be launched and how’’.

Alhaji Abdul Majeed restated that the organization was highly uncomfortable with the Minister’s accusation, just as the alleged plot alone was a strong factor to worsen the level of intolerance between the Muslims and Christians across the country.

The group stressed: ‘’The FG might have derived joy in bursting the alleged terrorist hateful plot; Even, with the Minister’s call for caution to the Christian faithful, we believe that the impact of the accusation and public disclosure is damaging and immeasurable.

‘’We equate the latest allegation to the recent statement by President Muhammadu Buhari, that Muslims recorded more causality from the Boko Haram attacks than the Christians. We observed that in a sensitive society and multi-religion country like ours, Mr. President needed not to have made such a comment, for the fact remain that the suspected insurgents hit both faithful.

‘’If anything, the statement has somewhat promoted bigotry and animosity between the two religion faith and if care is not taken, the Minister’s perceived alarm may be considered as a direct contradiction to Mr. President’s statement; put the administration in bad light and promotes hatred and suspicion among the faithful of the two major doctrines in the country – Islam and Christianity’’.

Following its concern, The association has urgesd the FG to urgently follow-up its allegation, by informing the Nigerian public what are the security measures and strategies being put in place to frustrate the plot, warning that Nigerians would not tolerate pointing accusing fingers at anyone, when there is a strike and casualty is recorded.

‘’We believe that a government which seems to be audacious and daring in revealing a criminal act of this nature, should also be able to deploy adequate security resources to checkmate another massacre’’ the statement challenged.

The group maintained that the time to act – in taking drastic steps on the alleged plot is now!’’