Tension Rises: NSCIA Warns FG Of Growing Muslim Anger, Alleges Targeted Killings And Islam Profiling

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently address what it described as recurring attacks, discrimination and profiling of Muslims across the country, warning that the patience of the Muslim community should not be taken for granted.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement released by the council’s Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, on behalf of the NSCIA led by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the organisation said Muslims have continued to exercise restraint despite what it called repeated acts of provocation and injustice.

According to the council, while it has consistently urged Muslims to remain peaceful, authorities must take decisive action before frustrations boil over.

The statement stressed that the community’s calm disposition should not be mistaken for fear, noting that every society has a limit to what it can endure.

The NSCIA also demanded swift justice over the recent killings in Kaduna and Benue states, insisting that everyone responsible must be prosecuted in accordance with the law. It warned that failure to hold perpetrators accountable could undermine law and order.

The council further expressed concern over what it described as increasing public attacks on Islam and Muslims, urging government institutions to prevent actions capable of inflaming religious tensions and threatening national unity.

On allegations involving security personnel, the NSCIA called for an independent investigation into claims that some divisional police officers handed over a female Muslim scholar to a mob that allegedly set her ablaze. It also requested a thorough probe into allegations surrounding the police officer said to have invited the late Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Ardo Risku Muhammad, before his killing.

The council maintained that anyone found culpable should face the full weight of the law.

It also referenced the deaths of Muhammad and his associate, Mallam Yakubu Isah, after attending a peace meeting, alleging that the incident was part of a wider pattern aimed at provoking Muslims into retaliatory actions.

The NSCIA criticised comments allegedly made by a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) during a live television programme, describing the remarks as irresponsible. It argued that regulators should have sanctioned the broadcast and claimed that a Muslim leader making similar comments would likely have faced questioning by security agencies.

The council also rejected allegations by some Christian leaders linking Muslims and Fulani communities to recent kidnapping cases in Oyo State. It claimed that individuals arrested in connection with the incidents did not support those assertions, adding that the suspect arrested over the kidnapping and killing in Oriire Local Government Area was identified as a Christian pastor.

In addition, the NSCIA accused Arise Television of applying double standards in its reporting, alleging that the station downplayed the religious identity of the suspect and would have handled the story differently had the accused been a Muslim.

Beyond security issues, the council alleged that Muslims continue to face exclusion from public appointments, particularly in parts of southern Nigeria. It claimed that Muslim officials are frequently replaced by non-Muslims after leaving office and cited the case of Mr Adebayo Adelabu as an example.

The NSCIA also defended Muslim-Muslim political tickets, arguing that similar objections were not raised during previous political eras when Christian-Christian leadership combinations were accepted, referencing the political careers of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and General Yakubu Gowon.

Despite raising these concerns, the council reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s unity and peaceful coexistence. It urged the Federal Government, security agencies and the media to act responsibly in order to prevent religious tensions from escalating, while encouraging Muslims to remain law-abiding as efforts continue to address their grievances through legal and peaceful means.