By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – A coalition, Diversity Bridge Builders Collective (DBBC), has declared that the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, should not be vilified over the ugly turn of events in the state arising from the gruesome murder of Miss Deborah Yakubu by some irate youths.
Miss Yakubu, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was killed by a mob over allegations of blasphemy against the Muslim religion.
Some suspected perpetrators of the murder were subsequently arrested by the police, leading to protests in Sokoto metropolis, and a declaration of a 24-hour curfew by the state government to contain it.
According to a statement by the media aide of the Governor, Muhammad Bello, the state is also taking other measures aimed at addressing the matter.
The advocates for true inclusion, zero prejudice and peaceful coexistence,DBBC, said in a statement issued on Monday, May 16, 2022, in Abuja, by its national coordinator, Dr. Fend Mancha, that the Sokoto incident was reprehensible.
He noted that the tendency, especially, in some quarters to turn the protest into a violent riot and a reason for wanton destruction, is reprehensible and urged every religious or political leader in the region, and Sokoto in particular, to unite to restore peace and unity amongst the people, irrespective of faith and ethnicity.
Mancha noted that though Governor Tambuwal is a politician with presidential ambition, the developing incident in his state should not be politicised in an attempt to either hurt his aspirations or used to secure political capital by political adversaries to the detriment of the people.
The statement noted that religious matters in northern states are always very delicate and sensitive, and thus, must be handled with tact and utmost diplomacy, else they lead to more grave problems of catastrophic dimension that may not be in the interest of the people.
“It implores the people to be more circumspect, in making inflammatory conjectures and utterances, but rather appreciate the efforts of the governor, rally round him and the people of Sokoto state in pursuit of lawful resolution of the issues,” he stated
According to DBBC, the proactive steps taken so far by the governor in declaring a 24-hour curfew and other steps, in conjunction with religious leaders in the state to prevent further breakdown of law and order, should be supported and commended, just as the respected Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Hassan Kukah and the Northern Governors’ Forum, have done in their respective recent statements.
Dr. Mancha insisted that while it is the responsibility of government to protect lives and property of the citizenry, “security in our society, should be the business of everyone, because every act of insecurity affects everyone in the society, either directly or indirectly.
“We must, therefore, not play politics with the security and peace of the people. What has happened is of grave concern to every well meaning Nigerians, irrespective of faith. And we thank that this is the time for all of us to talk to our conscience and preach the true message of love, peaceful coexistence, respect for one another and tolerance.
“This is not just all about religion and our different faiths. It’s about humanity. It is about sacredness and sanctity of life. It is about law and order. It is about peace, without which no meaningful development or politics would be possible.
“As a people, let us preach and reinforce these ideas for peace, stability, unity and sustainability of our nation, rather than negative politics with the intention to hurt one another for selfish interests.”