Islamic Organisation Urges FG To Dialogue With Boko Haram

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has urged the Federal Government to dialogue with members of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram in order to end the current insecurity plaguing the country.

Man claiming to be leader of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, in video screengrab, unknown location, Sept. 25, 2013.

This was contained in a communique jointly signed by JNI Secretary General, Dr Khalid Aliyu and the chairman of the local organising committee, Prof S. W Junaidu, which was issued on Monday in Kaduna after the end of its national conference and pre-ramadan meeting.

“Considering the universal acceptability of dialogue in resolving crises, insurgency and all other forms of insecurity, the Federal Government of Nigeria should also consider the dialogue option” it said. “Leaders at all levels of governance should abide by the rules of accountability and justice as the surest means to peace, stability and development”. 

JNI also advised Muslim clerics to preach love and compassion to their followers especially during the ramadan.

“In the forthcoming Ramadan, Muslim scholars are urged to consider the spirit of love, cohesion and compassion which Ramadan stands to teach” it said. “They should also use their Tafsir programmes to instil in their listeners the fear of Allah and the spirit of love, hard work, and compassion towards others”. 

The group further called on Islamic scholars to promote the culture of healthy intellectual dialogue and exchange of goodwill in order to strengthen unity among them, and advised muslims to pursue knowledge, pointing out that contemporary Muslims have a lot of practical lessons to learn from the legacies of the Sokoto Caliphate.

Meanwhile, the Islamic group which has been very active in several issues relating to the muslim sect members had previously made other calls aimed at bring the destructive activities of the sect to an end. 

On April 7, 2014 the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, led Jama’atu Nasril Islam in Kaduna raised the alarm that the Nigerian Army was killing Muslims in the name of fighting terrorism in the land.

It would be recalled that on 3, December, 2013 the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad lll, led Jama’atu Nasril Islam demanded the immediate release of the alleged Boko Haram recruitment officer, Dr. Mohammed Yunus, a lecturer at the Kogi State University who was arrested by security operatives.