By Elohor Igbru
Unless the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah tenders an unreserved apology for his “malicious vituperations against Islam and Muslims” he should “quickly and quietly leave Sokoto, the seat of the Caliphate.
The warning which was contained in a press statement by the Muslim Solidarity Forum (MSF), Sokoto came after the Bishop criticised President Muhammadu Buhari administration over insecurity, nepotism and bad governance in the country.
It also came amidst allegations by the Department of State Services (DSS) of a plot to incite religious violence in some states by some people working with some external forces.
The acting Chairman of the MSF, Prof Isa Maishanu said Kukah in his Christmas message was trying to break the peaceful co-existence between the majority Muslim population and their Christian guests.
He said: “ In February 2020, he (kukah) staged a demonstration in the heart of Sokoto over the killing of a single Christian priest, presumably, by the Boko Haram insurgents, but did not consider hundreds of Muslims, Fulani herders that were mercilessly killed by Christian Militia in Taraba state in 2018.”
He asked what Kukah thought would happen if the peace-loving Muslims of the seat of the Caliphate, responded to his incessant provocative attacks on them and their religion like what happened in Kafanchan 1987, Zango Kataf 1992, Tafawa Balewa 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2001.
However, in a reaction the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna, Rev. Joseph John Hayab faulted the quit notice given to the Bishop. He said: “We have tolerated them so that we can continue together and build a nation of respect for other’s opinion. We therefore, see this call for an apology from Bishop Kukah by this group as a show of disrespect and display of complex attitude to abuse our tolerant spirit and our desire for a peaceful Nigeria.”
