By Ralph Madugu
The youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, SOKAPU has called for an end to what it described as “Bigotry and senseless” attacks on the Bishop of Sokoto, Hassan Kukah.
A statement signed by John Isaac, SOKAPU National Youth Leader, said, “The attention of the Youth Wing of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) has again been drawn to an eleven (11) point press statement issued and signed by one Professor Isa Mohammed Maishanu on behalf of Muslim Solidarity Forum Sokoto on Tuesday the 12th day of January 2021, asking Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah to leave the Seat of Caliphate (Sokoto), and also trying to incite the peace loving people of Sokoto and the North against the Bishop over his Christmas message where the Bishop out of passionate patriotism voiced out the obvious truth when he said ” Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any Non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done with his Nepotism and gotten away with it.”
The youth group said it is dismayed and pained that a Professor will condescend this low, throwing caution to the wind and towing the path of religious rascality and bigotry by deliberately attempting to window dressed the Bishop’s message with religious colorations and further inciting the general Muslim Ummah against the Bishop.
The youth said they believe that the reckless statement credited to the Professor does not in any way reflect the position of a responsible group such as the Muslim Solidarity Forum and called on “the Department of State Services to as a matter of urgency arrest Professor Isa Mohammed Maishanu to serve as deterrence to those already brain washed and misled by his unguided statements and prevent a religious war.
“We are equally urging the professor to as a matter of public interest and safety submit himself to the nearest psychiatric home for an immediate psychological examination for shamelessly trying to establish a Nexus between Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah’s message and Muslims vis Avis Islam.”
It further emphasized that the youths and people of Southern Kaduna will not accept further attacks on the person and character of Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah under any pretence urging that neither professor Isa Mohammed Maishanu nor any person or group of persons can mourn more than the bereaved.
“The Bishop message was directed to the powers that be and cannot in any way be said to have been directed to Muslims and Islam a religion well known to profess peace.
“The youths of Southern Kaduna therefore vow to reciprocate any form of attack directed or aimed at putting the Bishop in harm’s way by any group of ethnic loyalists, religious extremists and enthusiasts.” It would be recalled that the Muslim Solidarity Forum on Tuesday, 12 January, 2021, issued a statement asking Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah to leave the Seat of Caliphate (Sokoto) following a message he delivered on Christmas day where Bishop Kukah was quoted thus: ” Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any Non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done with his Nepotism and gotten away with it.”