The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, along with Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have urged Nigerians to end the ongoing protests against violence and killings.
In their joint statement, the two religious leaders, who serve as Co-Chairmen of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), expressed concern over the potential loss of life and damage to property if the protests persist. They noted the significant harm that had already occurred on the first day of the protests.
The leaders appealed to the government to act swiftly to address the citizens’ needs and prevent further actions that could threaten the stability of the country.
“The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), under the leadership of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and His Eminence, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) observes with heavy heart the happenings in the country at the moment.
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“The protest that commenced in a peaceful manner on Thursday, August 1, 2024 despite pleas from all quarters, took a turn for the worse and became violent later in the day. In just a few hours lives and property were lost due to this unfortunate scenario.
“It is without doubt that there is hunger and hardship in the country but civil unrest is not the solution as it would only further aggravate the already frail state of the nation. NIREC hereby calls on fellow citizens of Nigeria to please call off this protest and give the Government a chance to redeem itself.
“In just one day lives and enormous amount of property have been destroyed. Imagine if this continues for a prolonged period of time, only God knows the extent of damage that would be incurred.
“The Council calls on the security agencies to be more professional in the discharge of their duties. NIREC urges the government to expedite action towards meeting the yearning and needs of the citizens. We need a peaceful and tranquil nation we can be proud to call our own. May God bless us all,” the statement reads.