By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has strongly condemned what he described as the growing trend of discrimination and hate against minority Igbo Muslims of the South East Region.
The Sultan has, therefore, demanded an immediate and transparent investigation into the actual circumstances surrounding the gruesome killing of Col Abdulssalam Ude ,a serving military personnel of Igbo extraction.
The Source reports that some yet-to-be identified gunmen had on July 27, 2027, shot and killed Ude, an officer of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corp at his residence in Kurudu area of Abuja.
According to eyewitness accounts, Ude was shot by the invading gunmen after reportedly resisting his abduction and those of his family members.
Col Ude, an indigene of Enugu State, was said to have been ambushed at the entrance to his residence by the hoodlums , while returning back from the day’s activities.
His family members have, however, rejected claims that he was shot and killed owing to his refusal to by whisked away. They insisted that it was a classical case of conspiracy and assassination.
The Sultan who is also the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims in a statement from the head of his media team, Prince Bashir Adefaka , on Wednesday, called for an end to unprovoked and unnecessary attacks on minority Muslim adherents not just in Igbo land, but across the country.
He described the alleged belligerent posture towards Muslims of Igbo extraction, especially in the South East, as a huge set back to the quest for national unity and religious tolerance.
He underscored the urgent need for the Federal Government ,the Nigerian Military authorities and all other relevant bodies to unravel the facts behind the unfortunate killing of Col Ude.
According to the Sultan, himself a retired Brigadier-General, allowing the killing of a military officer and indeed that of any other Nigerian to just pass, has the dangerous potential of undermining efforts at nation-building.
“The Federal Government and the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have got to put heads together ,and get to the roots of the circumstances that led to the shooting, at alleged close range, of Army Colonel Abdur-Razaq Abdulkarim Ode ,a fine military Intelligence officer that both Muslim Ummah ,and traditional communities in the country, especially, he hailed from ,were proud of.
“To allow the killing of any single Nigerian soul, without getting to the root of the cause ,and bringing the culprits to justice , with a view to disallowing a repeat of the same is not a good way to talk about a serious country, much more when the life of extra-judicially taken is that of a soldier of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The cause of this killing, and attempt on the life of his family must be found out, and the Government, and other appropriate quarters do the needful”, the Sultan demanded .
The Head of the Nigerian Muslim community while extending heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased whom he said was the most senior Muslim Igbo military personnel, sued for love, tolerance, unity, restraint and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, and religious persuasions.
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