Sharia Council’s toxic prescription on Lekwot

The Southern Kaduna crisis has lasted almost forever to make welcome any solution to end killings. But a request the other day by the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) for a revisit of the 1992 crisis and execution of General Zamani Lekwot (rtd) is most curious and unfortunate.

Taking the life of Lekwot, 29 years after his well applauded State pardon, lacks legal, moral, and religious justification. Certainly, there should be means to end gruesome ethnoreligious killings in Kaduna but more bloodshed cannot be one of them.

The crux of the matter: Recall that in the aftermath of the Zango-Kataf crisis, Lekwot was arrested alongside 15 Atyap elders and leaders. They were soon sentenced to death without the option of appeal under the obnoxious and widely condemned Decree 55 of 1992, promulgated by the Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida. After worldwide anger against the judgment and several legal tussles, the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. In 1995, General Sani Abacha, reviewing their case, decided that the man and his kinsmen were unfairly treated and granted state pardon with other Atyap leaders. It is this state pardon that the Muslim scholars and leaders are asking to be overruled. How does this build peace in the volatile region?

It is time all parties sat down to ask themselves, what is the real problem with Kaduna and how can Christians and Muslims live together in peace under one God? Those who do not have an answer on how to end the crisis or do not understand the questions should rather shut up and not worsen the problem.