BY Ayodele Oluwafemi
Visibly angry by Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, Nuru Khalid, chief Imam of Apo legislative quarters Juma’at mosque, on Friday, made some comments that upset powerful people.
Khalid’s comments could not have been soothing to the ears of political leaders, who the cleric flayed for the country’s rising insecurity.
Less than 24 hours after the sermon, the cleric was suspended by the mosque committee for “anti-government” preaching.
Khalid’s sermon came amid a high rate of terror attacks in the country, which have led to the killings and abductions of many people.
On Monday night, the violent attacks took a brutal dimension when gunmen attacked a Kaduna-bound train in the Kateri-Rijana area in Kaduna.
Kaduna state government said 362 passengers boarded the train, 26 persons were injured during the attack while eight bodies were recovered, and several persons still missing.
Here is the text of Khalid’s sermon:
Is there nobody to take responsibility? I want to believe that we have all failed. I mean — I failed as an Imam to teach you that life is sacred. You all failed as parents to teach your children that killing is bad. Our community leaders failed, our politicians failed, governors failed, especially his excellency, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you have failed us.
We have your video telling Nigerians that the military is capable, it has all the requirements to tackle this insurgency and if you are voted into power, you are going to make sure that happens in a short time.”
You have been given four years and an addition, yet people are dying like fowls, killing is becoming the norm in Nigeria under your watch Mr President.
If there is no Nigerian to tell you, I will take the responsibility of telling you and I will take the responsibility of telling you and I will take the responsibility for the consequences because the lives and properties of Nigerians are above all.
Let me tell you, Mr President, under your watch, bandits are demanding, are taxing Nigerians — is that the provision of the constitution of Nigeria. Under the constitution of Nigeria, no one has the right to tax any Nigerian except being authorised by the federal government.
Go and check history. How many times has he (referring to Buhari) travelled to Kaduna for campaign? Or didn’t he go to Kaduna for campaign? Didn’t he go to the people of Kaduna when he was seeking votes from them?
Didn’t he go to the people of Kaduna? But there was a bomb blast on the rail leading to Kaduna, he couldn’t go and check on them. But he could sit down and condemn the attack and say God forbid.
Everybody in Nigeria can also say God forbid for the bad things that are happening, only the terrorist will not say God forbid. We want you to govern, not to say God forbid. You should give orders that where ever these terrorists are hiding, they should be apprehended, where they get supplies from should be blocked, and whoever has a hand in supporting them should be arrested and prosecuted.
The government is all about power. My fellow people, there is no government with leniency. The government uses its power to arrest, oppress, break, and kill… and that is what we want to be done to the terrorists in this country right now.
Whoever wants to deprive the poor Nigerians of living in peace, the government should show it is superior and it should humiliate that person.
The poor Nigerian has bought the peace to live with his own money if you don’t know.
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