Niger State Gov, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Emir of Lapai Are Blackmailing Us and Grabbing Our Properties – Islamic Group
This is to intimate the general public, especially the Federal Government of Nigeria on the on-going attacks on our group, Muheena Madinatu Islamic Centre by the Niger State government using the student of force to destroy our property and engage our students in shoot-at-sight upon the flimsy excuse of belonging to the dreaded religious set, the Boko Haram.
We want to inform the general public that our Islamic Centre h n link or contact with the dreaded group but that we are a registered Islamic School with all the necessary documents to back it up.
We appeal to the federal government and al well-meaning Nigerians to call the Niger State government and the Emir of Lapai to order, and allow us exercise or fundamental human rights of freedom of association as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
Our members have been forced into spiritual exile and those around are being haunted by the security forces on the order of the Niger State government on daily basis. Our lane property has been destroyed; our farmlands and school buildings vandalized by the agents of the Niger State government and the Emir of Lapai who have resulted into self-help o unlawfully take over our property that has all the required documents from the Niger State government.
It is on record that no individual within our Islamic Centre has been arrested with any arms or ammunitions. Our cows have and other diary has been stolen, birds and goats havebeen slaughtered and taken away by thugs on the orders of the Niger State government and Emir of Lapai.
It is ironical for the Niger state government who had alleged that our 200 hectares of land forcefully taken from us constituted a clog in the wheel of progress of the state ministry of lands and housing to hurriedly allocate almost half of the land to the Emir of Lapai while the case is still in court.
We would like the general public to note that at no time did Sheik Abubakar Nibras claimed to be a Prophet but rather, he has consistently impacted the teachings of the prophet Mohammed (SAW) to his followers according the Quranic injunctions.
We would like to refer the attention of the general public to landed properties owned by our other Muslim brothers such as, NASFAT,
Ansarudeen among others in Lapai in particular and Niger state in general. From the foregoing therefore, the incessant attacks on our members have constituted an act of impunity, unjustifiable condemnation of our spiritual inclinations and abuse of basic freedom of association and worship.
We will also like to draw the attention of the general public to the existence of various religious groups in Nigeria who are enjoying the luxury of association and uninhibited access to recruit members of the general public to their fold. We shall mention here but a few:
Guru Maharaji in Ibadan
Olumba Olumba in Calabar
Hare Krishna at Lagos
Eckankar in Abuja and others too numerous to mention.
We are not sure this apartheid the Emir of Lapai and his cohorts have extended to our members is not out of unguarded and mischievous advice on the part of some self-centered individuals who are out to grab some crumbs from the Emir’s table.
Finally, we want the general public to note that the landed property in question has a valid Certificate of Occupancy dully registered with Niger State government and that we have never deviated from the initial purpose for which the land was sought for.
The case is still in court, hence; we appeal to the Niger state government to allow the law of he and take its due course rather than resulting into self-help, campaign of calumny, cheap blackmail, brigandage, reckless attacks and maiming of our members without any provocation.
Some of the Civil Society n Non-governmental organizations have also stepped up action on the case via the EOWAS Community Court of Human rights, the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other sundry international agencies.
