Jibrin, Ex-PDP BoT Chair, Lashes Leaders Using Religion to Divide Nigerians

•Condemns El-Rufai’s unguarded utterances 

•Narrates how bandits attacked his Abuja residence

John Shiklam in Kaduna

A former Chairman of the  Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin, has condemned leaders, who use religion to cause  disharmony among Christians and Muslims for selfish political gains.

He also lamented the security situation in the country, narrating how bandits invaded his Abuja residence  about two weeks ago demanding N5 billion.

Addressing a news conference yesterday in Kaduna, Jibrin specifically condemned the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El- Rufai over his comments that he promoted  Muslims-Muslim rulership.

He decried the religious divide among Muslims and Christians in Kaduna, the former capital of the defunct Northern region, where according to him, adherents of the two the religions coexisted peacefully.

He said the late Premier of the Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello never discriminated against Christians as he carried both Christians and Muslims along and promoted harmonious coexistence.

Jibrin said Nigerian leaders of those days ruled successfully without discriminating against anybody on the basis of religion or tribe, and called on Nigerian leaders to avoid using religion for their selfish  interest.

“I am calling on all Nigerians to be very careful in using religion to solve their selfish activities. In Nigeria, today, we have Muslims and Christians, who live peacefully by working together with every one practicing his or her religion based on the belief of their Koran and Bible.

“Since  Independence,  we had  devoted leaders, who ruled Nigeria successfully without using religion to ginger their successes and they were fully accepted by Nigerians. Recent pronouncements by a former governor from the Northern part of the country that he used Muslim-Muslim agenda successfully to rule in the best way in his state contrary to the behaviour of some Christians is unfortunate.

“He further announced that he used Muslim governor and Muslim deputy governor successfully in his state in the North. May I point out that Kaduna was successfully used by some Northern leaders for total advancement of the North using both Muslim and Christian leaders.”

Lamenting the security situation, Jibrin said, bandits invaded his Abuja residence in broad daylight and ransacked everywhere. He said he was not home at the time of the attack, adding the bandits tied Awwolu, his House Boy and told him that they came to take the N5 billion kept in the house.

“I want to  use this opportunity to announce that recently some suspected bandits/kidnappers forcefully entered my rented house at Brains & Hermas Estate APO 3 FCT, Abuja, and seriously vandalised my main bedroom carting away vital documents.

“They tied my House Boy, Awwalu, and told him that they came to take away N5 billion hidden by me and also to take away some so-called ammunitions kept by me but unfortunately found nothing at all. Even though I was not at home when they came in the afternoon, they forced my Awwalu to the bedroom but alas found nothing.

“They took my House boy away and later dropped him somewhere after informing him that they were looking for such big amount  and some ammunitions kept by me but found nothing at all. The bandits came with about 7 Jeep Motor Vehicles, 8 persons with sophisticated ammunitions.

“I have since reported the matter to Inspector General of Police who directed the CP FCT to handle the matter. I want to announce that I have never kept such an amount of money or any ammunition in my house.”