PRESS STATEMENT: Some Sectarian Mischief Makers on the Prowl in Kano

It has come to our notice that Alhaji Lawal Hasan, a resident of Kofar Waika neighborhood in Kano metropolis has signed a letter of complaint against the Islamic Center of the Islamic Movement, addressed to the State government.

In the letter dated January 12^th, 2016, the writer accused brothers and sisters of the Islamic Movement of carrying out “dangerous activities.”He also mentioned seeing of strange faces moving in and out of “Turi house” which is the Islamic Center we refer to as Kano Markaz.

 Not only that, he claimed some hoodlums were bent on setting the compound ablaze but for the timely intervention of those he described as elders of the neighborhood.

 The writer even has the temerity to call on the state government to demolish the Islamic Centre.

 We wish to state here that the Islamic Center has been in the neighborhood for the past 13 years. In over a decade of its existence there has never been a single report of any criminal activity by the neighbors of the center. Therefore for anybody to claim that members of the Islamic Movement are engaged in ‘dangerous activities’ is malicious, mischievous and a blatant lie.

Upon seeing a copy of the letter, Alhaji Adamu Gobirawa, who is also a resident of the neighborhood, called the purported writer of the letter and some elders of the community to discuss the issue. During the meeting it came to light that even the signatories of the letter are unaware of it. Thus it became evident that the letter was written on the instigation of those who are not even residents of Kofar Waika.

We hereby call on the Kano state government to disregard such malicious claims perpetrated by mischief makers bent on brewing sectarian sentiments that will be detrimental to the peaceful coexistence of the state.

The Islamic Movement for the past 40 years has been the most tolerant of all groups and associations within the Islamic community in the country, therefore for someone to associate us with violence is the peak of mischief.

 SIGNED BY

Dr Dauda Nalado

08028452977

Bayero University, Kano.

For The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Kano.