Religious Persecution: Face your own problems and leave Nigeria alone — JNI warns US

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar 

The Secretary General of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad- led Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Dr Abubakar Khalid – Aliyu, has warned United States of America to face their own problems and stop dabbling into the internal affairs of Nigeria on the issue of religious right.

According to the JNI secretary, Nigeria is a sovereign nation and should be allowed to face her own internal problems.



He accused the US of being biased against the Muslim community, pointing out that the US never accorded Muslims the opportunity always given to Christians.

Khalid – Aliyu said, “I think countries should be wary of the troubles they are facing in their own countries and learn not to become the watch dog of other countries.

“It is important that discerning minds look at their internal problems and try to solve them and not poke nose into any purported, perceived issues that happened in other countries.




“It will be tantamount to a big contradiction when people dabble into the affairs of governance of other countries. All countries have their different laws. They have their different ways of governance.

“Islamophobia is being noticed throughout the world, especially in the United States, where Muslims, especially, the females are being mocked, sometimes pushed, drawn into humiliation and stigmatisation because of the hijab they wear. Why can’t they give the Muslims their own rights there if they think there are rights elsewhere that are not observed?


“And if you look at Boko Haram, they killed Muslims more (90.9%) than people of other religions and the records are there. These are serious problems which no discerning mind can just brush away.”

He also said, “There is the issue of the Shi’ites everywhere and it is only in Nigeria they feel they deserve this. There are sanctions all over the place for Shi ’ites and Iran. In Nigeria, it is a different ball game? People flouted the laws and the laws of the country found them guilty and you want to import somebody’s law into another country. I think our sovereignty should be respected. I think Nigeria has come of age and should be allowed to face her problems.



Meanwhile, CAN in a statement on Sunday by its spokesman said the designation of Nigeria by the US Department of State was an indication that the global community was aware of the situation in the country.

It noted that religious freedom in Nigeria remained poor, adding that the federal and state governments continued to tolerate discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, “and suppressed the freedom to manifest religion or belief.”


CAN said, “We are not happy that our country is being listed among the nations where religious intolerance is one of their hallmarks but it gladdens our hearts that, at least, the global community is not unaware of the fact that Nigerian Christians are becoming endangered species in their fatherland.”

CAN said it had drawn the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the situation during several meetings “but instead of correcting the imbalance , one of his aides is fond of abusing and insulting the association using every unprintable word.”


Oladeji referred to a statement by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Muhammad, a few days ago , where he called for an amendment to the constitution to accommodate more Sharia provisions.

The association noted, “If the government is sensitive to our yearnings and aspirations, how come no Christian is heading any of the three arms of government in the present dispensation? This is unprecedented in the history of this country since Independence.

“Is that one of the reasons why no Christian is worthy of occupying any of those sensitive positions? Another slap on our face is the composition of the National Security Council of the country in which 98 per cent of its members come from one part of the country and they are people of the same faith.”



CAN argued that there was evidence to prove that subtle Islamisation agenda and nepotism were real, noting that the key appointments made by Buhari since his re - election followed the same pattern.

The CAN spokesman also pointed out that Christians in Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba states were being killed by Boko Haram terrorists and killer herdsmen “while the security agencies appear powerless, complacent and it seems as if the government of the day lacks the political will to deal with the criminals.”