End Boko Haram Islamic Group Tells Sultan, Muslim Leaders

An Islamic group known as the Concerned Muslim Professionals, CMP, yesterday called on the Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, to call the leader of the boko haram sect for discussions.

The group said the insurgency persisted because of the failure of Muslim leaders to intervene, insisting several members of the sect would have laid down their arms and many wouldn’t have joined the erroneous sect, if the Muslim leaders in Nigeria had engaged the sect for discussions. The group also says it is regrettable that the activities of the sect had become a great embarrassment to the Islamic faith.

Part of the statement obtained by journalists from the group states that, “If the family of billionaire, Umar Mutallab, could have a terrorist in its midst, then such a disease could be everywhere; it can only take the effort of the Sultan and the other Muslim leaders to mobilise compliance by parents and relatives, which is part of the actions being demanded by well-meaning Nigerians.

“The biggest task before our Muslim and Islamic leaders in the North is to reconcile the warring communities of Muslims and Christians through forgiveness, healing and genuine social integration and coexistence; similar to the one referred to by General Gowon on the Muslims of the South-West geopolitical zone. The other task is to make Boko Haram come out of hiding, denounce terrorism and embrace government’s overtures.

“A failure on the part of the Muslim leadership (under His Eminence the Sultan) to discharge these responsibilities/actions to the later will render it of questionable ability, doubtful recognition, decimal loyalty or an outright dismissal as a mere smoke-screen. As obedient and loyalists to His Eminence the Sultan, our hearts bleed on these realities,” the statement read.