BY TAIWO FAROTIMI
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad is not happy about the spate of kidnapping in the country. The Sultan who is also the president-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, NSCIA said no ethnic group or religion allows the practice of violence or criminality. He has therefore appealed to the authorities to take decisive steps aimed at arresting the situation.
He also cautioned against stereotyping of any group for the misdeed of a few people. Rather, he said those who are caught in the act of lawlessness should be made to answer for their offence.
He also implored the government to equip security agencies enough for them to be able to investigate and unearth the brains behind kidnapping and other forms of criminality. He said this while hosting leaders of ethnic and religious groups in Sokoto state as well as heads of security agencies and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Sokoto state council. Hear him: “There is the need for a vigorous investigation to unravel those behind this menace and bring them to book.”
However, while stating that no country is totally free of crime, the Sultan who perhaps is of the view that the Nigerian media sensationalises the occurrences of criminality, called for restraint in the reportage of such acts, particularly kidnapping, in the country. He said, “In some of these advanced countries people are being killed regularly, but their media are silent on it. But here in Nigeria, if anything happens, we would start attributing it to one tribe or religion.”