What Shariah council knows about churches in Sokoto, Kano if it decides to reciprocate Wike’s wickedness

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria has described Rivers Gov. Nyesom Wike as wicked and irresponsible for the “demolition of a mosque” in Port Harcourt.

Addressing reporters in Kaduna on Monday, Nafiu Baba-Ahmed, secretary-general of the council, said the action is  capable of degenerating into serious security problem in the country.

He wondered what could happen if the Sokoto Caliphate and Kano should reciprocate Wike’s action, knowing the multitudes of Christian and churches in those two northern states.

The Sharia council also hammered Muslim leaders, including governors and legislators for their “conspiratorial silence’ in the controversy.

“While we condemn Wike’s desperate wickedness, we also call on all relevant executive, legislative organs of the Federal Government to nip this unnecessary and unwholesome development before it escalates into an avoidable reciprocation, with obvious unpredictable negative consequences,” Baba-Ahmed said.

Nafiu-Baba said what makes Nigeria great is its pluralism and diversity.

He cited a recent survey on the number of churches in the country, which showed that “there are more churches in Kano city alone than in Bayelsa State and the number of churches in Sokoto out-number those in Ebonyi State.”

“So, If we adopt similar intolerant and irresponsible action by Governor Wike, only God knows what the negative consequence would be for peace and continued corporate existence of the country,” he said.

“Islam means peace and total submission to the will of Allah, so it is because of that you have in the city of the Caliphate more churches than in the whole Bayelsa state.

“Clearly he got carried away by the recent declaration of Rivers as a Christian state, therefore, he is trying to show his intolerance of Muslims.”

He asked Wike to reverse what he has done and pay compensation for demolishing the mosque and reinstate their title for the land.

Wike and some Islamic leaders in the state have denied the allegation.