The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged the Federal Government and the Nigerian Armed Forces to immediately investigate the killing of a senior military officer, Col. Abdussalam Ude, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
He also decried what he described as continued discrimination and hostility against minority Igbo Muslims in the South-East, calling for greater protection of religious minorities and the promotion of peaceful coexistence across the country.
The Sultan’s position was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Prince Bashir Adefaka on behalf of the Sultan’s Media Team.
According to the statement, titled “Sultan of Sokoto calls for immediate launch of investigation on alleged assassination of Igbo Muslim Army officer,” the monarch made the appeal while reacting to the killing of the senior officer.
The statement noted that Alhaji Abubakar spoke “while reacting to the recent assassination, allegedly, of Nigeria’s most senior Igbo Muslim Army officer, which occurred at his residence in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, recently.”
The Sultan said, “The Federal Government and the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have gotten to put heads together and get to the roots of circumstances that led to the shooting at alleged close range of Army Colonel Abdur-Razaq AbdlKarim Ode, a fine military intelligence officer that both Muslim Ummah and traditional communities in the country, especially the region he hailed from, were proud of.”
He warned that failing to thoroughly investigate the killing of any Nigerian, particularly a serving military officer, would weaken the country’s efforts at building national unity.
“To allow the killing of any single Nigerian soul taken out without getting to the root of the cause and bringing the culprits to justice with a view to disallowing a repeat of the same is not a good way to talk about a serious country, much more when the life extrajudicially taken is that of a soldier of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The cause of this killing and attempt on the life of his family must be found out and the government and other appropriate quarters do the needful,” he said.
The Sultan further appealed for an end to hate speech and violence directed at minority religious groups, stressing the need for tolerance and national harmony.
“As Muslims, we continue to act by showing love and encouraging peaceful coexistence, tolerance, unity and restraint as enjoined upon us by Islamic rules, regulations and guidance laid down for us in the Glorious Qur’an,” he said.
He also prayed that the late officer would be granted Al-Jannah Firdaus.
The appeal comes after the officer was killed during a suspected kidnap attempt at his residence in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Monday night.
According to reports, the attackers invaded his home during a heavy downpour in an attempt to abduct him. He was said to have resisted the assailants before being shot several times.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command later clarified that the incident took place in Nasarawa State, contrary to earlier reports that it occurred in Abuja, adding that investigations are ongoing.
Since the incident, members of the Igbo Muslim community and other social media users have paid tribute to the slain officer, remembering him as a Qur’an teacher, military intelligence expert and mentor.
