The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), on Wednesday, appealed to Nigerians to shun religious incitement that could cause crisis in the land, saying it was disturbed with distinctly religious undertones that are causing anger and fear in the public domain.
The forum said it would be cruel and tragic if communities are set up against each other in the names of their faiths, noting that there were no threats to any religion under current circumstances that would justify action that will threaten peace and harmonious co-existence in this country.
It would be recalled that the Department of State Services (DSS) said it had uncovered plots by some forces to cause mayhem in Lagos, Kano, Oyo and other places in the name of religion.
Reacting to the disturbing disclosure, the Director, Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, called on Nigerians to be wary of mischief makers and subversive elements who are hell-bent in worsening the difficult situation under which Nigerians live today.
The statement read: “Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is concerned over disturbing comments with distinctly religious undertones which are causing anger and fear in the public domain.
“The Forum’s concerns have been compounded by published warnings from the Department of State Security (DSS) over attempts to cause breaches in security and peaceful co-existence through incitement in many parts of the country.
“The Forum invites attention to multiple pressures and stresses under which Nigerians of all faith live.
“It will be cruel and tragic if communities are set up against each other in the names of their faiths.
“There are no threats to any religion under current circumstances that would justify action which will threaten peace and harmonious co-existence in this country.
“If there are indeed reasons that could be exploited to engineer religious conflicts, the Forum demands that governments deal decisively with them.
“The Forum calls on Nigerians to be wary of mischief makers and subversives whose objectives could be to worsen the difficult circumstances under which Nigerians live today.
“Muslims and Christians have no reasons to fight each other.”
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