Jama’atu Nasir Islam (JNI) has condemned the killing of an Islamic leader, Sheikh Muhammad Aisami, by gunmen, who also took away his car.

JNI said the Moslem community would not attribute religious motives to the assassination, despite that the assailants were reportedly identified as Christians in military uniforms.

JNI Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, stated, yesterday: “JNI received with utmost shock the reported assassination of Aisami and theft of his car. To say the least, the Sheikh’s murder was dastardly, reprehensible and stands condemned, given the kind-hearted nature of the Sheikh, who, in his own volition, offered the assailants a ride in the same car.
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“Surprisingly, both John Gabriel and Adamu Gideon resolved to rob him of his car. Yet the Muslim Ummah did not in any way declare that it was an attack by Christian terrorists in military garb. Indubitably, if this had happened to a Christian clergy, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and its cronies would have been on top of their voices that Muslim terrorists have killed a pastor or reverend and the media would have been awash with such information.”

Aliyu recalled that sometime in 2018, Maj-Gen. Idris Alkali was brutally killed allegedly by the Birom ethnic group of Du Community (a predominantly Christian suburb) in Plateau State and his remains thrown into a pond, yet nothing was reportedly done as punishment against the perpetrators.

He added: “Same with the Rukuba Road carnage, which resulted in the massacre of about 22 innocent, defenseless Muslims returning from Bauchi State to Ikare, Ondo State, en route Jos. Yet, the Nigerian Muslims have repeatedly remained patient, despite series of lies, hate campaigns and even outright provocations.

“But for how long shall this continue? Why the clandestine reportage by some section of the media against the Nigerian Muslims? The gruesome killing of Aisami clearly demonstrates that crime has permeated every fabric of the Nigerian society and, to some extent, even security agencies.”

However, JNI called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to, as a matter of fairness and justice, hasten the prosecution of the culprits responsible for Aisami’s death, and execute the judgment to serve as a deterrent to many bad eggs within the system.

Aliyu warned: “These repeated tragedies should not be swept under carpet, as we have a firm conviction that these unwarranted killings are usually well thought-out. As we have always said, no life is worth taking except as stipulated by law.”
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