Muslim Group Commends FG on Stop Order to Non–Indigene Registration

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

For directing a break to further registration and repatriation of non-indigenes from different parts of the country by some South Eastern state governments, Muslims Rights Concern (MURIC) has commended Federal government for its well thought order.

The group made the commendation in a press statement issued by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola. It recalled that some Eastern states government were allegedly requesting residents of their states with Northern extraction to register and obtain non-indigene identity cards, randomly arrested and harassed through Security agents revealed that, several mosques in the zone had been raided.

The statement lamented that officers of the Nigerian Army last Monday raided several mosques in Aba, Abia State and arrested the city’s Central Mosque Chief Imam, Alhaji Bashir Idris and 14 other faithful.

The raid Professor Akintola who is also a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU) mentioned that two teachers of the New Horizon Academy, an affiliate of the mosque (Aba Central Mosque) were picked, quizzed away and up till now remained in detention.

While decrying what it described as “religious stigmatization, ethnic profiling and undue scapegoatism.”MURIC lauded the Federal government for taking action on the issue, by outlawing the registration and witch-hunting of innocent Nigerians on account of “non-indigeneship”

“FG’s latest action will also forestall the breakdown of law and order as a result of anticipated retaliatory measures from the northern states” the statement observed.

The group cautioned the state governments, Northerners and Muslims faithful in the country already provoked by the actions to forget the ugly episodes and desist from reprisal. Similarly, MURIC urged the security agencies still holding the arrested teachers to release them or arraign them in a court of law if there was any need for that.

The foremost organization also commended the Lagos State Government’s paternity and maternity leave policy for its workforce, saying the approach aligned with the provisions of Islam. It therefore called on President Goodluck Jonathan to follow suit for the Federal public servants.