The Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Ikamatis Sunnah, JIBWIS, has alerted the Senate of the presence of some members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, popularly known as Shi’ites among the ministerial nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari, calling on the lawmakers to reject their nomination.
The JIBWIS, through its national chairman, Ulama Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya-Jingir made the disclosure during a media chat with journalists at his office in Jos, in reaction to the increasing fatalities resulting from clashes between the Shiite group and the Nigerian police.
DAILY NIGERIAN recalls that in the recent clashes between the police and the Shiite group, about 13 people have been reported dead, including one senior police officer and a Channels TV’s reporter Owolabi.
Although the JIBWIS official did not mention names, he said: “We learnt that among the ministerial nominees, there are members of the Shi’ite group, those nominees shouldn’t be confirmed,” Mr Yahahya-Jingir said.
The Islamic cleric urged the national assembly to screen out any ministerial nominee that has inclination or membership with the Shi’ites group.
READ ALSO: Ministerial Screening: I will do my best in any ministry – Akpabio
Mr Yahahya-Jingir, therefore, advised President Muhamamdu Buhari to take all the necessary measures against Shiite group, saying they are not patriotic Nigerians by their actions.
He said: “They were instigated by Iran, and I want them to know that Iranian citizens wouldn’t resort to attacking their country or even attempting to kill their leaders that the Shi’ites in Nigeria were doing.
“It is unfortunate that citizens of a country are taking arms against their police, wanting to attack the national assembly and also saying they would kill the children of the President or even the President himself.
“We don’t want President Buhari to treat this issue with kid gloves; he should take necessary measures in making sure that security agencies and all relevant parties deal with the issue of Shi’ites squarely,” Mr Yahahya-Jingir added.
According to him, JIBWIS, as a Muslim organization, wouldn’t fold it arms and allow things to escalate without giving a proper advice.
