The Reasons Why Christians From The North Have Always Been Killed.

Incitements to hatred and violence by Islamic clerics

There is a Nigerian Islamic cleric who is a leader of the Izala sect whose name is Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir. He has his headquarters in Jos, Plateau State, and moves around the country preaching in cities and major towns. Among his adherents are prominent politicians and even Emirs. For decades, this cleric has been going around and preaching nothing but a message that incites hatred and violence against Christians and non-Muslims. This so-called scholar categorically preaches that Muslims must hate Christians in this country and that Muslims will continue to kill Christians. He always preaches to brainwash the Muslim youths to not only hate but fight Christians. During the 2011 presidential election, he continued to preach that if a Muslim did not win that election Nigeria would know no peace. The same sentiments were echoed by President Buhari, which he now claims were misinterpreted. 

Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir preached in Argungu, Kebbi State, on 15/01/2011 that all security officials who were Muslims must work for Prophet Mohammed and promote Islam. Interestingly, the Emir of Argungu, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and his deputy were all present at the occasion. Sheikh Yahaya Jingir also preached that Nigeria is an Islamic country and rhetorically asked why a non-Muslim would be allowed to rule Nigeria? He vowed that they will continue to fight for Islam in Nigeria.

He further stressed that the Nigerian Muslims who, according to him, constitute 80% of the population would never agree to have a non-Muslim rule them. He referred to Christians as infidels. Sheikh Yahaya Jingir alleged that the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Murtala Mohammed, Sani Abacha and late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, were all killed by the Christians, claiming that it was the Christians who gave President Yar’adu’a poison and killed him. He said Christians and Muslims are enemies and there will be no peace between the two in this country.

Another cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gero, preached so much about the 2011 general election. He fed the Muslims lies and falsehood, saying that when President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was in power he gave money for the development of the North but when President Goodluck Jonathan (whom he referred to as an infidel) came to power he suspended the development of the northern region. Abubakar Gero further said that all the Muslims from the North that voted for Jonathan are enemies of Allah and will be punished by Allah. He also called them enemies of Islam who would be dealt with. He further said Christians in Jos killed Muslims in uncountable numbers, i.e. thousands, and pledged that they will continue to kill the Christians from the North for the blood of those Muslims that was shed in Jos. Abubakar Gero stated that Christians are enemies of Allah and Prophet Muhammadu, therefore there will be no peace between Muslims and Christians in this country except when a Muslim comes into power and rules over Christians. Abubakar also submitted that there will be continuous war in Nigeria if the Muslims in the North are not given power at the federal level.

Another cleric that has been preaching Jihad, as well as violence against Christians in Nigeria, is Sheikh Sanusi Khalid. Sheikh Sanusi said the number one terrorist in Nigeria was President Goodluck Jonathan. He said the Vice President Namadi Sambo gave out Kaduna State to an ‘Arne’ (meaning, infidel). He said Governor Patrick Yakowa, a Christian, was an enemy of Allah and Prophet Muhammad because of his faith. Sanusi Khalid further added that the colonial resident governor that ruled from Kaduna before independence in the 1950s to 1960s left a letter stating that a non-Muslim should not be allowed to rule Kaduna. He vowed that Muslims will never allow Yakowa to rule in peace. He further accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N.) for standing behind former Vice President, Namadi Sambo. He said Kaduna and Nigeria are in trouble and they will continue to be in trouble because the Muslims are not in power and for as long as Christians are in the leadership of this country. Sanusi said that Muslims are organizing their people for war between Christians and Muslims.
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In the same vein, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami preached to his followers in Bauchi that Governor David Jonah Jang had urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Bauchi State because of Kalakato and Boko Haram. According to Isa Pantami, all the killings of Muslims in Plateau State were perpetrated by Governor Jang and Gbong-Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba. Dr Pantami said according to the Daily Trust newspaper, as captured in the column of the current Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, out of three thousand people killed in Plateau State, two thousand eight hundred were Muslims. According to Pantami, Governor Jang and Bauchi State C.A.N. Chairman and some Christian leaders held a meeting in Lagos with journalists at Sheraton Hotel to plan on how to kill Muslims in this country. Pantami said when the last 2010 crisis started, the Sultan of Sokoto called Governor Jang on phone over 20 times, but that Jang refused to pick the Sultan’s calls, according to the Sultan. Dr Ali Pantami said all Muslims must buy weapons to fight the Christians in this Country. It is regrettable that President Buhari could appoint this kind of extremist and fanatical Islamic scholar, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami, as the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), one who hates and pathologically dislikes Christian and any person who is a non- Muslim.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned Islamic clerics (Sheikh Sani Jingir, Sheikh Abubakar Gero, Sheikh Sanusi Khalid and Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami) only promote hate speeches and always incite their adherents to kill Christians.

Unfortunately, and sadly enough, the appropriate security agencies have failed to act decisively. Copies of CD plates of their teachings were available and given to the authorities, but they were neither arrested nor prosecuted accordingly. It is also on record that a letter was written to the then President of the Senate, dated 4th of July 2011, and the letter was referred to the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, for necessary action.

However, the then Chairman, Senator Mohammed Magoro, who is a Muslim from Kebbi State, failed to act decisively. Sadly, till date nothing has been done about the complaints. Herein attached is also a reply to the letter written to the Senate President, dated 29th February, 2012.

It is pertinent to recall that in 2013, the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan demanded negotiations with Boko Haram. Consequent upon the said demand, President Buhari, Senator Abba Ibrahim, Ibrahim Datti and many others went for the negotiation in Saudi Arabia. President Buhari however later denied being a part of that group. In this regard, the question to be asked is that if Boko Haram has no close relationship with the persons earlier mentioned, would they have requested them to represent them in the said negotiation?

At present, the Nigerian government is rehabilitating some so-called repentant Boko Haram terrorists. Our concern is where they are going to be kept after rehabilitation. Indeed, it is said that several of them have been released into society, and some have even been absorbed into the Nigerian army. Mr. President should note that these so-called ex-terrorists who had killed thousands of Nigerians without any remorse are now the darlings of the government while their victims are suffering in poorly maintained IDP camps. Still in connection with Boko Haram, we have heard of the arrest of the Chairman of Mafa L.G.A and Vice Chairman of Bama L.G.A in Borno State. Since their arrest, nothing has been heard about these men to date.

After the February 2018 Fulani herdsmen attack in Benue State that claimed the lives of more than seventy Nigerians, the Benue leaders decided to visit President Buhari and discuss their plight with him. His answer to them was that they should “accommodate their brothers” the Fulani herdsmen killers! Not long after that, however, the same Buhari told President Donald Trump of the U.S.A that the terrorists were late President Mamman Gaddafi’s soldiers from Libya. Now the questions are:

– If the terrorists were Libyans, why did he tell the Benue leaders to accommodate their brothers?
– Who brought these terrorists to Nigeria?
– Who is showing them places in Nigeria to attack?
– Who is feeding these terrorists?

What a terrible confusion and contradiction! In the same vein, the Minister of Defence Gen. Mansur Dan Ali and IGP Ibrahim Idris said that what brought the Fulani herdsmen attacks was the issue of the anti-grazing law in Benue and Taraba States. There are some states such as Adamawa, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara, with no anti-grazing law, yet Fulani herdsmen continually kill innocent Nigerian farmers. Why are the security chiefs covering the truth?

Can the President tell Nigerians the truth about these killings without any cover-up? From religious crises we graduated to Boko Ha ram and from Boko Haram to Fulani herdsmen killers. Please can the Nigerian security chieftains tell us the truth about our security situation? Christians in Nigeria view the crises in the country only on the basis of Islamic jihad and hatred against them. In fact, we have no less than twenty recorded Compact Discs (CDs) of messages by Islamic preachers in Nigeria against Christians and Christianity. In truth, Islamic clerics have already declared war against Christians and Christianity. One Fulani herdsman was killed in Kodomun Village, Demsa Local Government Area in Adamawa State, and immediately five young men were sentenced to death by hanging namely (1) Alex Arnos (2) Alhari Phahuel (3) Holy Boniface (4) Jerry Gideon and (5) Jari Sabagi by Hon. Justice Abdulazziz Waziri of Adamawa State High Court Number 5 on the 13th June, 2018. However, no single Fulani herdsman has been sentenced by any Court of Law in Nigeria for all the killings Fulani herdsmen have carried out in this Country. This is total injustice. 

Direct questions for the Buhari government

1. Your Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Alkali Wakil, who called herself Maman Boko Haram in one of her interviews with AIT, said that if the people behind the Boko Haram would grant the permission to the Boko Haram leaders, they would come and drop their arms. Please can the Federal Government tell Nigerians the persons behind the Boko Haram terrorists?

2. Your Excellency, in 2011, during your campaign, you said that if you did not win the election, there would be “Kare Jini, Biri Jini” (dog in blood, monkey in blood); that is, war. At the same time in 2011, the Islamic scholars already mentioned preached that if you did not win, there would be no peace in this country. And this was exactly what happened. Why?

3. The Federal Government under former President Goodluck Jonathan demanded negotiations with the Boko Haram leaders in April 2013, and the Boko Haram kept insisting that the Federal Government must negotiate with them in Saudi Arabia. The insurgents appointed you, Mr. President, former Governor of Yobe State, Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim and several others as their representatives during the negotiations. Could this be a possible indication that you are fraternizing with them or somehow involved in their activities?