No Christian Genocide In Nigeria, NSCIA Declares

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has said there is no genocide of Christians or any other religious group in Nigeria, insisting that insecurity affects citizens regardless of their faith.

The council stated this while calling for an urgent and comprehensive reform of the country’s security architecture.

The position was contained in a communiqué issued after the NSCIA General Assembly held at the National Mosque in Abuja, Naija News reports.

The communiqué was signed by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the NSCIA, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the council’s Secretary-General, Professor Is-haq Oloyede.

The council said, “Insecurity in Nigeria affects all Nigerians regardless of faith and that there is no genocide of Christians or any religious community in Nigeria as claimed in some quarters.”

While calling for changes to the country’s security system, the NSCIA expressed support for decentralized policing.

It, however, said any move towards state police must be based on professionalism and strong safeguards.

According to the council, decentralized policing must be anchored “on professionalism, constitutional safeguards, impartiality, accountability, sustainable funding, respect for fundamental rights and effective coordination between federal and state security institutions.”

The NSCIA also urged the Federal Government to move faster in reducing the cost of transportation and food to ease the hardship facing ordinary Nigerians.

The council acknowledged the government’s efforts to revive the economy but said more needed to be done to reduce the pressure on citizens.

On civic responsibility, the NSCIA urged Muslims to serve as role models in their places of work and contribute more to national development.

It called on Muslims to make faith “a source of character, not just a tag of identity.”

The council also “tasked Muslims to obtain their National Identity Numbers (NINs) and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the process of selecting Nigerian leaders at all levels”.

The council also addressed claims about the presence of Muslims in Igboland.

It said it was “obvious that Islam has been in Igboland for several decades and across generations,” while condemning attempts by individuals or groups to portray Muslims as non-indigenous to the region.

According to the NSCIA, such claims could be used to suppress Muslims and normalise attacks against them.

The council also “called upon all government agencies to respect the right of Muslim female students, Muslim National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, Muslim female personnel in security agencies and Muslim female staff in other work places to use hijab as their fundamental human right.”

The NSCIA encouraged Muslim organisations and societies to pursue lawful investments and cooperation while improving the administration of Zakat and Waqf to support long-term poverty reduction.

It also urged Muslim leaders to give greater attention to quality education that combines Islamic knowledge with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

The council further called on parents and community leaders to pay closer attention to the moral upbringing of young people, noting their increasing exposure to negative foreign influences.