Muslim Solidarity Forum Demands Bishop Kukah’s Exit From Sokoto

Bishop Matthew Kukah, of Sokoto Catholic Diocese has been called upon to quickly and quietly exit Sokoto, the seat of Caliphate or immediately stop his “malicious vituperations against Islam and Muslims” and tender unreserved apology to the Muslim Ummah.

The Muslim Solidarity Forum in Sokoto made the call which was contained in a press statement.

The acting Chairman of MSF, Prof Isa Maishanu, while reacting to Kukah’s Christmas message, stated that Kukah, with his statements, was trying to break the age-long peaceful coexistence between the predominantly Muslim population and their Christian guests.

The statement reads in parts; “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 the Christian militia in Taraba state in 2018.”

The statement went further to ask Bishop kukah what he thought would happen if the peace-loving Muslims of the seat of Caliphate, responded to his incessant provocative attacks on them and their religion like what happened in Kafanchan 1987, Zango Kataf 1992, Tafawa Balewa in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2001, Yelwa Shandam 2004, Zonkwa and Jarkasa in 2011?”

Reacting, the Chairman of CAN in Kaduna State and its National Vice Chairman (19 Northern States and Abuja), Rev. Joseph John Hayab, and Executive Director of FJPD, Kwamkur Samuel, said the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Foundation for Justice Peace Development faulted the quit notice served Bishop Kukah by the forum.

Hayab said, “We have tolerated them so that we can continue together and build a nation of respect for others’ opinion. We, therefore, see this call for an apology from Bishop Kukah by this group as a show of disrespect and a display of complex attitude to abuse our tolerance spirit and our desire for a peaceful Nigeria.

“We see this group as agents of blackmail and intimidation who want to infringe on the right and freedom of expression of citizens, which our constitution guarantees.”

In the same vein, Samuel said, “Those terrorising Nigerians daily are so strong that they are rewarded almost on daily basis with ransom even in foreign currency under the supervision of authority while those crying on pages of papers like Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, due to losses, experience and excruciating pains and love for the nation, are easily identified, intimidated and vilified by the same authority that is not able to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

“I will advise this group of young and energetic Nigerians who are calling for the head of Kukah to join the families of victims of terrorists, kidnappers and bandits in Katsina, Maiduguri, Zamfara and other parts of Nigeria to get to the source and sponsors of killers of Nigerians.”

Candidreporters.com earlier reported that Bishop Kukah, on Sunday December 25, bared his mind on some issues bordering the state of Nigeria.

While highlighting some of the country’s challenges, the bishop accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism.

He accused the president of institutionalising northern hegemony, saying there could have been a coup if a non-northern Muslim president practised a fraction of what Buhari did.

The Bishop’s Message has also gotten reaction from Muslim a Muslim organization known as Muslim Right Concerned(MURIC), calling for the resignation of Bishop Kukah from the General Abdul Salaam-led National Peace Committee.

While some have accused him of regime change and called for his arrest, others commended him for “speaking the truth to power”.

In an earlier reaction to Bishop Kukah’s Christmas speech, the Muslim Right Concerned (MURIC) called for the resignation of the Sokoto Archdiocese Bishop from the General Abdul Salaam-led National Peace Committee.

The director of the organization, Prof Ishaq Akintola in a statement signed and made available to newsmen revealed the organization’s current stand on the Bishop’s Christmas message to Nigeria Christians.