UN, UK, ACF condemn Borno mosque killings

Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal

United Nations, United Kingdom and Spain joined others on Tuesday to condemn the killings of no fewer than 44 people in a mosque in Konduga, Borno State on Sunday by suspected Boko Haram members.

Others included the Arewa Consultative Forum, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Christian Association of Nigeria and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

In a statement by its spokesperson on Nigeria, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who expressed condolences to the bereaved families, called on all extremist groups to stop their attacks.

He said, “The Secretary-General reiterates his firm conviction that no objective can be attained through such violence.  He calls on all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and other peaceful means.”

In a related statement on Tuesday, the UK Foreign Office Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, said the attack was a “contemptible and cowardly” act.

He said, “I strongly condemn the attack on worshippers in a mosque in Borno state, Nigeria, that took place on Sunday.

“Attacking innocent people in a place of worship is a contemptible and cowardly act. My thoughts are with all those who were caught up in the attack, and their families.”

Spain’s Foreign Ministry, in its own statement, called on the authorities “to advance their efforts to arrest the offenders, probably part of the Boko Haram terrorist group, bring them to justice, and put an end to the activities of the group which threaten the peace and coexistence in the country.”

In its own reaction, the ACF  described as “sad” the killing of 40 Muslim worshipers in Konduga, Borno State, by the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

National Publicity Secretarry of ACF, Anthony Sani, said in a statement sent to   one of our correspondents in Kaduna  that the killing was not only sad but condemnable.

The Forum noted that apart from  being a heinous crime, the incident sought to desecrate the name of a religion of peace, “which is unfortunate.”

It, therefore, urged the sect to lay down their arms and embrace peaceful means of  addressing their grievances.

The Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said the killing of people, whether muslim or Christian or any other person was an abomination.

In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, he said killing of the people was sad and unIslamic.

He added that a thorough and discreet investigation should be carried out to identify the real perpetrators.

He said, “But whether those who killed people that were praying in the mosque are Boko Haram members or not, I think it is too hasty to name the perpetrators. Let us wait and see. I want to be on the ground to have the first hand information.

“It is condemnable to kill anybody whether Muslim or Christian, whether praying or not praying. Killing anybody is an abomination. It is unIslamic.”

In his reaction, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, condemned the attacks by the terrorists in Borno State.

Tambuwal said the incident was “barbaric”, expressing shock over the killing of innocent worshipers and security operatives.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Imam Imam, the speaker called on security agencies to go after the attackers and bring them to book.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Tuesday also condemned the attack.

Shettima, who gave N250,000 to each of the deceased families and N100,000 to owners of the destroyed houses, stated this at the palace of the District head of Konduga.

Noting that Konduga has a very reach history, the governor urged the people to complement the government effort in restoring peace.

The Christian Association of Nigeria described the perpetrators of the attack as “brood of vipers that must be chased out.”

The CAN Public Relations Officer in the  Northern States and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, it  appealed to Muslims to cooperate and join in the crusade to chase “the evil men out of the system.”

He said, “We condemn the attack on the mosque in its entirety because it is a crime against humanity and this is what we have been saying that when evil is perpetrated anywhere, it is against all humanity. We condole with the family of those who lost their beloved ones in this trying moments.”

PUNCH