“In the past we had called for similar decisive action on Boko Haram insurgents and
bandits, irrespective of where they come from and what warped “ideology” they profess. Nigeria
must not allow a deviant tiny minority, acting the script of those that wish to plunge the nation
into bloodbath, to do as they wish. The proscribed and terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its various tentacles, had in recent years chosen the path of insurrection, sedition and war on Nigeria.“
LATEST ANAMBRA MURDERS AS TIPPING POINT
“Indeed, we all come from Almighty God and to Him we shall all return” – Qur’an
By Prof. Muhammad Babangida Muhammad
With deepest sorrow the Ummah Movement, with headquarters at the National Islamic Centre,
Dogarawa, Zaria, Nigeria (NIC) joins the chorus of condemnation, by all decent people the world
over, of the utterly despicable and cruel murder of a hijab wearing Muslim housewife, her four
children and the full term baby in her womb and six other innocent northern Muslims, in Isulo,
Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria on Sunday, 22nd May, 2022.
Her husband, Jubril, a security guard, gave her name as Harira and the children as Fatima
9 years, Khadija 7, Hadiza 5 and Zaituna 2. The NIC extends its condolences to their families and
those of other victims. May Allah have Mercy on their souls, amen.
The taking of human life except in a just war or at the end of a judicial process is abhorrent to all
decent humans. These latest murders represent not just a new low but must be the tipping point,
that galvanizes the security agencies. They must relentlessly pursue the terrorist Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) and destroy it, before it ignites the keg of a most combustible “angerpowder”.
In the past we had called for similar decisive action on Boko Haram insurgents and
bandits, irrespective of where they come from and what warped “ideology” they profess. Nigeria
must not allow a deviant tiny minority, acting the script of those that wish to plunge the nation
into bloodbath, to do as they wish.
The proscribed and terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its various tentacles, had in
recent years chosen the path of insurrection, sedition and war on Nigeria. Tragically, IPOB and its
murderous leader have weaponised hate-speech; sending armed gangs to unleash destruction
and death on federal government symbols/agencies, security agents and fellow Igbo “dissenters”
who disagreed with or refused to fund its extremist nationalist ideology and its violent tactics in
excising the South-East from the federation. Its fury is most especially focused on the destruction
of cattle, vehicles, agricultural merchandise, other tokens and lives of unarmed people from the
Northern States, both Christian and Muslim.
A silent, well calculated genocide has continued to be unleashed in the South east upon northerners over a long period and even Igbo Muslims and their places of worship have not been spared. The murder of a Muslim suya seller and a Christian aircraft engineer (both northerners) and burning of two trucks laden with goods from the north,
occurred just before the most despicable murder of innocent Harira and her five children.
We join other Muslim organisations, people of conscience and the international community in
calling on the Federal Government to take concrete steps in reigning in the murderous rampage
of IPOB, uncovering its financial backers, training camps, apologists and query the entire
leadership of Igbo civil and religious organisations that have failed to condemn its various
atrocities but are unashamedly calling for unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu and even
idolizing him by taking propaganda pictures with him.
While government is going about this, the Ministry of Defense, Justice and the Judiciary should
put heads together and mete out severe and exemplary punishment to those IPOB gunmen
already arrested, after due process. It is because of lack of decisive punishment on those caught,
that has emboldened more criminals to commit worse murders daily. Let there be justice and
fairness for all. To further consolidate national security, these three arms of government would
be advised to heed the warning of tens of Muslim organisations and update our blasphemy laws
and punish those found transgressing them, so as to deter those non-Muslims deliberately
provoking volatile Muslim youth and also halt mob action whenever such incidents occur. The
law must be seen to be capable of dealing with those culpable and must do so, to block those
callously stoking sensitive national cleavages, to make the nation ungovernable, for their dark
objectives.
Sadly in this national tragedy, perhaps because the victims are from the “other side”, these
crimes are underreported and mostly ignored by the southern dominated Nigerian media. The
media should be ashamed of itself and expose these terrorists, in the same way they do other
criminals, bandits and BH rebels. Failure to do this is betrayal of their constitutional role.
We pray to Allah and we urge our fellow compatriots to also pray, to bring the terrorism of IPOB
and others to an end and protect our nation.
* Prof. Muhammad Babangida Muhammad
National Amir, NIC.