Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has berated renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Abubakar Ahmad Gumi for telling bandits that non-muslims are attacking them to cause chaos.
Speaking to bandits in a now-viral video online, the Islamic leader had claimed – without evidence – that the soldiers are stirring confusions with the aim of wreaking havoc.
Gumi said: “What I want you people to understand is, soldiers that are involved in most of the criminalities are not Muslims. You know, soldiers have Muslims and none Muslims. The non-Muslims are the ones causing confusion just to ignite crisis.”
The Islamic leader queried the bandits on why they should attack villagers in vengeance.
But reacting in a post on Twitter, Fani-Kayode warned that such comments will only lead to further division and a full scale and full-blown ethnic/religious war
Fani-Kayode wrote: “In 1989, when IBB was in power, the founder of the Izala Muslim sect, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, said it would only be over his dead body that another Christian would rule Nigeria. He died 3 years later & one year after that a Christian called Ernest Shonekan became Head of State.
“In 2021 his son, Sheik Ahmed Gumi, told Fulani terrorists, who he claims are fighting an “ethnic war” because they have been neglected by Govt. & who he believes ought to be forgiven, compensated & rehabilitated for their crimes against humanity)that Muslim soldiers are not the ones that are killing them but rather the Christian ones.
“He also told them to stop kidnapping Muslims as it causes them to loose sympathy amongst the Muslim population.His father’s comments were bad enough but Sheik Ahmed’s comments are worse: they are irresponsible reckless, dangerous & incendiary & could spark off a chain of events that can cause Nigeria & West Africa to be engulfed in the fire & horror of war for the next 50 years. I appreciate his efforts to rescue the kidnapped but must this be at the expense of Christian blood?
“Are the Christians of the North expendable? Should they be the whipping boy and the sacrificial lamb for the barbaric savages & terrorists? I really do wonder why the Gumi’s hate Christians so much? Is it genetic or are they just irredeemably heartless & insensitive?
“Inciting Fulani terrorists to target & butcher members of the Christian community in Nigeria and appealing to them to attack and kill only Christian soldiers whilst sparing the Muslim ones does not augur well for national cohesion, peaceful co-existence and unity.
“It will only lead to further division& as a matter fact it is the path to a full scale & full blown ethnic& religious war the likes of which have never been seen. This must NEVER be allowed to happen in our country.
“We must, as Christians & Muslims come together& fight the terrorists AS ONE. There can be NO peace or dialogue with mass murderers ethnic cleansers & genocidal maniacs.
“In this war we must give no quarter. Ours is to use all means available to resist & crush them & despatch them to the afterlife. It is left to God to forgive them.”