DSS Under Fire For Alleged Inaction After Cleric, Salihu Zaria, Threatened To Kill Christians

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has berated the Department of State Services, DSS, over its alleged loud silence and apparent inaction to the unambiguous incitement against Christians made in a recent viral video allegedly by one Ustaz Abubakar Salihu Zaria.

The association described the police inaction as discriminatory, illegal and totally indecorous.

HURIWA expressed consternation and shock that such a seditious video could have been made by a so-called religious leader threatening to carry out reprisals on Christians over the recent cruel and brutal killing of scores of Moslem travellers in Jos by unknown gunmen, yet for nearly three days the DSS has overlooked the sensational and violence-prone Video.

In a statement, the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs, Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA wonders whether the security forces including the Nigerian Police were waiting for the threats to be fully executed before it can take any lawful measure to bring the said religious preacher to justice.

“Can we honourably remind the hierarchy of the DSS as they prefer to be identified, that the specific institution known as state security services is a creation of the Nigerian law and therefore the operatives are to serve all Nigerians equally and must never present themselves as either Islamic Police or political police but a national policing institution.

“We hereby ask them to invite the said Islamic Cleric to say what he knows about a future plot to kill Christians in Northern Nigeria should any Moslem be killed by hoodlums in Plateau State and also find out why he classified Plateau State citizens all of whom have one religion or the other as infidels. These inciting comments and the inaction of either the Nigerian Police Force or the DSS are dangerous.

HURIWA also asked the DSS to explain to Nigerians why it invited the Edo State-based Christian leader Pastor Suleiman and the Enugu State based Catholic Priest Fr. Ejike Mbaka when they individually made innocuous statements which in the estimation of DSS were damaging to National Security but same DSS has gone mute upon hearing a Moslem Cleric make threats against Christians.

HURIWA wondered too that President Muhammadu Buhari received in audience the Sheikh from Bauchi whose disciples were killed by unknown gunmen even after he the Sheikh was quoted in a section of the media as allegedly threatening revenge and now the same President and his attack dogs have kept mute to this threat against Christians by the Islamic Cleric.

HURIWA noted that the President through his Media minders had attacked Rt. Reverend Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese for reportedly criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s silence to the killings of Christians by armed Islamists in the North of Nigeria.

HURIWA said the inaction and loud silence of the DSS to the incitement against the lives of Christians in the North made by Ustaz Abubakar Zaria contravenes some sections of the Nigerian constitution.

The Muslim cleric was quoted as saying partly, “Here is my message to the infidels in Plateau 2x and to CAN Plateau and to CAN Nigeria in general.

“I am the one speaking, I am Alkali Abubaka Salihu Zaria.

“I swear to God almighty, if such ever occur again, there are Christians in Kaduna State, there are Christians in Zamfara State, there are Christians in Sokoto, there are in Katsina, Kebbi, there are Christians in Gombe, Damaturu and Yobe and there are major roads. We will also block the roads and waylay Christian commuters.” The video had alleged.