TheCable

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic affairs (NSCIA) has accused the National Christian Elders Forum of  “attempting to set the country ablaze with dangerous distortions, spurious claims and outright lies.”

In a statement signed by Salisu Shehu, its deputy secretary-general, the council said “the strategy of the Christian elders forum is to stir the emotions of the unwary majority and appeal to the primordial sentiments of their religious followers”.

It alleged that the Christian group set Nigerians against each other by circulating hate messages.

“Many people can recollect the passionate falsehoods and concocted videos produced, mass circulated and presented by Bosun Emmanuel to several churches just to incite Christians and thwart the electoral victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2014,” the statement read.

“Among what he said then was that General Sani Abacha was the best president Nigeria ever had. His reason for reaching that conclusion was simply that General Abacha deposed a sultan. Having failed in his mission to divide Nigerians across religious lines preparatory to the 2015 elections, he has sought fellow lslamophobes and ethnic bigots to drive the same cause.

“The mission is evil and the method is despicable; set Nigerians against one another by circulating hate messages.”

NSCIA also said contrary to the impression being created by “those who are paid to misinform the public”, Muslims were the targeted victims of the killings allegedly carried out by herdsmen.

“There is abundant evidence of many Muslims who were slaughtered, particularly those who were stopped on the blocked highway, identified as Muslims and gruesomely killed by the same elements that are quick to blame their crime on others,” it said.

“The truth is that the same cannibals who waylaid Muslims on Sallah day few years ago, roasted and ate them (the video of which went viral and is available) are still active in their systematic campaign of terror in the middle belt.”